Is Grand Prospect Hall The Dr. Zizmor Of Banquet Halls?

Yesterday it was reported that the Grand Prospect Hall in Park Slope is attempting to expand with a luxury hotel, but all people really want to know about is that commercial. The quirky television spot airs 20 times a day on local networks, the Daily News reports, and owner Michael Halkias believes that 98% of the city is familiar with it... making Grand Prospect Hall the Dr. Zizmor of banquet halls! Halkias says he made the commercial for free, "so if anybody wants to laugh at the homemade aspect of it... I am laughing all the way to the bank." Paging Andre Balazs, we got a new idea for marketing the Hotel Chelsea!

The 2009 ad that runs now wasn't the first, either. Below check out their 1986 commercial as well:

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on January 13, 2011 10:14 AM

Comments [rss]

JimboGold853OKG

The Halkias family has certainly made their dreams come true, but they don't think much of the neighborhood they've been doing business with the last 30 years. Here's part of their justification for expansion, which some consider a threat:
“We were here a long time ago, before any normal person would dare populate this socially wild west community,” their flier reads. “We are the originals in the territory and we mean to continue serving you all.”

They’re basically saying lowlife druggie animals will take over if this expansion doesn’t happen. And you know what, I’m pretty offended. I lived in that neighborhood 25 years ago. It wasn't Park Avenue, but it was hardly the Wild West either. The Halkias family also say of themselves, "We are elegant people." Uh, no. Don’t they remind you of that couple that snuck into a White House dinner last year? While this actually sounds like a very good idea, both the tactics the Halkias family is using and the contempt for the area where they earn their livelihood makes those tacky commercials seem a lot less funny.

Gwinny

I would happily watch the Grand Prospect Hall commercial any day over that mind-bendingly awful SATC-ripoff commercial for Carmel.

langleycollyer

Totally agree, Gwinny. "He comes when Oy cawl." Arrgh!

robingee

I like the gutter guy who raps!

jibbly

What? Where?? I watch way too much tv and haven't seen rappin' gutter guy! Youtube please.

robingee

found it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

jibbly

That...was incredible!

(btw your new avatar looks like a Kandinski painting at that size. I had to enlarge to be like, oh, Dora and PowerPuff girl)

robingee

It's the side of a Brooklyn ice cream truck!

longacre

"I am laughing all the way to the bank!" The airtime is the expensive part of the equation, not the production. That said, airing 20x a day on NY1 is probably relatively affordable.

XOSOBYDHCS

Dr. Zizmor has a local commercial that rivals GPH!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Miles

Oh, man! Thanks for this. Not long after we moved to the city, my lady and I grew very fond of these commercials.

Now if you could find the one for the local door installation company with the old Brooklyn lady all "My doors were so attractive, that my neighbors would ring my bell to ask where I had purchased them"