June 10 is Iced Tea Day.

“Iced tea is an iconic summer beverage and one of the most refreshing elixirs known to man. There is something magical about the combination of brewed tea, mint leaves, and fresh lemon slices served over ice,” says the holiday site Punchbowl. Well, I wouldn’t go that far, but it’s a perfectly fine drink.

In 1996, the J. Walter Thompson ad agency used a claymation version of Frank Sinatra to advertise Lipton’s Brisk iced tea beverage. “That’s Brisk, baby!” declares clay-Sinatra after chugging a can. The commercial (embedded below) was voiced not by Ol’ Blue Eyes, but by Joe Piscopo. It was part of series of celebrity ads using stop-motion animation.

Lipton Brisk iced tea commercial (1996)

The Pepsi Lipton Tea Partnership issued a press release describing how super-amazing the commercial is: “‘Who implies leadership more than the Chairman of the Board?’ says J.J. Jordan, Executive Vice President, Creative Director, Thompson, New York. ‘Sinatra has always been beyond cool … and always will be. This spot is not only a funny short story—it’s different than anything on the tube.'”

I think they missed an opportunity for a Frank jingle. How about “I did it my way and drank Brisk,” “Strangers in the night exchanging glasses (of Brisk iced tea),” or “Don’t go and spoil it all by serving something stupid — serve her Brisk tea”?

The stop-motion animation “That’s Brisk, baby” campaign was revived in 2010 with stars like Eminem and Ozzy Osbourne.

Related articles

• National Iced Tea Day (ireport.cnn.com)