Husky advertising: Chuck Talsky offers unique style, creates 30-year success.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi
• Position: ANNIVERSARIES

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Talking fish, a husky in polarized sunglasses, and a blow up alligator floating in Portage Lake while an ad man submerged waist deep in glacier water espouses the features of buying, Johnson's tires--these are a few of the stars who have been featured in the Alaska-themed TV commercials that Chuck Talsky, owner of Husky Advertising, has become known for producing statewide.

While some may find his style of branding on the edge of absurd, or even cheesy, with evangelical commitment, Talsky sticks with the formula that has been making cash registers ring for his clients for 30 years, as his name has become anonymous with successfully promoting well-known clients such as Anchorage Chrysler, Johnson's Tire Service, David Green Furs, Alaska Tax Service, Powerhouse Fitness Center and Eagle River Polaris Arctic Cat. In fact, it's not uncommon for people to approach him and ask if the glacier water was cold, though the TV spot hasn't aired in five years.

TALSKY PUBLICITY

Anyone in the industry will give credence to the idea that there's no such thing as bad publicity. And Talsky couldn't agree more with the old adage. "What I've always tried to do is make people want to talk about the commercials," he says from his home-based Eagle River office. "I want people to talk about the ads--because that means they're talking about my client and the message hasn't gotten lost."

Remember these? For Johnson's, besides standing in Portage Lake, Talsky slid down an ice cliff of the Matanuska Glacier to promote their glacier grip tires. Arresting his fall down the cliff by grabbing onto the client's ice and snow tire, the strong message was simply, "Get a grip with glacier grip ... they're on sale now at Johnson's Tire Service," Talsky says. "It's as straightforward as you can get. People will remember just a few words, so they have a lot of impact." In fact, when Mrs. Johnson watched the commercial for the first time, at the end she nervously laughed out loud, relieved at the outcome of him sliding down a hanging glacier and--surviving. "I'm not trying to be foolish or corny, but simplicity counts, and you have to get their attention in the first few seconds, because that builds suspense."

For that same client--he helped grow the group of tire companies from two to six stores--he created the signature sound, known as a "sting," that plays at the end of each Johnson's commercial and imitates the sound of an air wrench tightening five lug...