Up in your header gif today you are watching Kim Basinger in a 1978 television advertisement for a shampoo called “Body on Tap.” Body on Tap’s unique formulation of one-third real beer was the differentiator that was supposed to give a user’s hair body and shine, although it probably wasn’t that great at delivering its promised benefits, since the product was discontinued due to poor sales in the mid-1980’s.
Kim Basinger, on the other hand, was just getting started. At the time this ad was filmed, she’d already had left a four-year modeling career to guest appear in various television shows, and had even turned down the opportunity to replace the slot in Charlie’s Angels left by a departing Farrah Fawcett. Her first starring role would come in 1978 in the made-for-tv movie Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold, a rather predictable girl-from-a-small-down-is-chewed-up-by-the-ruthless-modeling-business movie in which a pre-stardom Don Johnson also briefly appears. And our old pal Tab Hunter also appears, which is important info to know for those of us that like our tabs.
Basinger’s breakout role would be her turn as Bond girl Domino Petachi opposite Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again, 1983. Although critics found the premise amusing, an aging Bond reprising his role one more time, it is one of my least favorite Bond movies. I much prefer the cinematically stylish Thunderball (1965), which uses the same plot, also starring Connery. In my opinion, in his final turn as Bond, Connery went out with more of a whimper than a bang, although there were, as is typical of Bond movies, plenty of explosions. Despite whatever I think of the movie, though, it was well-received critically and recorded the best opening record of any Bond film at that point. This successes was at least partially due to interest in Basinger, who used her 1981 Playboy shoot to help promote the film. This strategy did indeed vault Basinger to further opportunities, as she has gone on to enjoy a forty-seven-year acting career which shows no signs of ending anytime soon.
Creative credit and thanks also go to “Mockup Free” for their shampoo bottle model, which I of course monkeyed with a bit. You can find the model and links to other resources here: Mockup Free: Cosmetic Bottle
Sources and More Information:
Wikipedia: Never Say Never Again