Ah, the TV jingles and catchphrases that once lured us into buying big-name breakfast cereals, deodorants, and other essentials. How those Pied Pipers of marketing coaxed cash from our wallets, leading us to snatch the stuff off supermarket shelves, week after week, with little thought of anything but, "I want it. I need it."

I'm cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! (Cocoa Puffs cereal).

All right, Bubbles! Get ready to hit the dirt! (Dow Scrubbing Bubbles).

Please don't squeeze the Charmin (Charmin toilet paper).

There were not many no-frills offerings back in the big-brand heyday, and the few shoppers who bought them did so at the risk of mild social ridicule - or the disappointment of their taste buds - even if to the benefit of their personal finances.