Last Call: Send Us Your Commercials For 'Nicer Living' Project

It's the last call for our commercials for Nicer Living. It's an update of a project NPR's Susan Stamberg ran 45 years ago, where listeners wrote commercials for the little joys that make life better.

KELLY MCEVERS, HOST:

And now it's time for a last call on the Commercials for Nicer Living project, version 2017.

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

This is an update of a project that Susan Stamberg ran 45 years ago on this program. She asked listeners to write commercials for life's little joys.

MCEVERS: And five of those were turned into commercials for Nicer Living with music and sound effects.

SIEGEL: There were ads for love letters, clouds, waiting, walking and the bio-clock.

MCEVERS: Also known as your built in time piece.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED BROADCAST)

UNIDENTIFIED MAN: Bio-clock is the result of eons of research and development. By Flora and Fauna Laboratories, bio-clock costs you nothing. You already own it...

MCEVERS: Oh, yeah, that is definitely from 1972.

SIEGEL: (Laughter) Yeah, we wanted to know what things make your life nicer today, in 2017, so we launched a new Commercials for a Nicer Living project. And so far we've gotten more than a thousand ideas.

MCEVERS: Peter Manos in Seattle sent in the most. He wrote ads for peace and quiet, cats, snowmen, belly laughs, Joshua trees...

SIEGEL: And breathing through your nose.

MCEVERS: (Laughter) A simple pleasure that eludes many of us this time of year.

SIEGEL: OK, here's where the last call comes in. You have just a few more days to join our Commercials for Nicer Living, version 2017. The address is npr.org/nicer.

MCEVERS: You only need to write a script - no more than 120 words. We'll pick five to produce like actual radio commercials and share them on air in a couple of weeks.

SIEGEL: The deadline is this Sunday, January 15.

(SOUNDBITE OF BAD WEATHER CALIFORNIA SONG, "STAND IN MY SUNSHINE")

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