Miss Ohio 1998 is the most unusual item here. Donna Whitworth, Miss America, was judging. The host had a perm. There were card tables on the stage. The contestants sang. A dance number happened to a Bond song with finger guns. The winner, Cheya, had gained attention during the competition after allegations about her enrollment status at the University of Cincinnati. None of this was available anywhere online. Regional pageant broadcasts from this era are essentially never preserved.
The Cleveland commercial breaks across multiple stations give you 1998 in a specific market: McDonald’s Mulan Nuggets with the Szechuan Sauce (yes, that sauce, from the year it actually existed), a Buy an Oldsmobile and get two free tickets to the X-Files movie crossover promotion, Schwebel’s bread with a duck that throws the bread back, the Primestar commercial with a Mustang getting crushed. Northern Ohio Toyota. National City. Bob Evans Wildfire Sauce. The Astros at Indians game on Fox 8 WJW finally arrives in the late tape. Jacobs Field, June 27, 1998. Interleague play was only in its second year. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell’s Astros were headed to 102 wins that season.
Commercial Inventory
- McDonald’s Mulan Nuggets / Szechuan Sauce – The 1998 Szechuan sauce, before Rick and Morty made it famous again. Specific TV spot not widely preserved.
- Oldsmobile “free X-Files movie tickets” crossover – Buy an Olds, get tickets. June 1998 release tie-in.
- Schwebel’s bread (ducks throw the bread back) – Cleveland-area regional bread brand ad.
- Blockbuster “terrifying new releases” (Scream 2) – Blockbuster new release promotional spot.
- Vienetta by Breyers – European-style layered ice cream, 1990s US distribution period.
- Primestar (Mustang getting crushed) – Satellite TV competitor to cable. Primestar was acquired by DirecTV in 1999.
- Domino’s HeatWave bag – The insulated bag product launch promotional spot.
- New Domino’s HeatWave bag – Product launch for the insulated delivery bag.
- MJ Ballpark Franks “now in fat free” – Michael Jordan endorsement, fat-free product extension.
- Beltone Hearing Aids (Cleveland market) – Local/regional hearing aid advertising.
- Miss Ohio 1998 / TV 68 “Ohio is Turned on to TV 68” bumper – WMFD Channel 68 OTN station ID. Almost certainly unique.
