We’re about to take a trip down memory lane. But put on your running shoes because this is all about speed.
When he was a kid in Uniondale, John Moschitta Jr. honed his talent for fast-talking just to try to win a world record for Guinness. He didn’t make the book that year because the record keepers didn’t have a way to test his talent. But people liked his schtick so Moschitta Jr. continued to hone it.
His speedy skill eventually got him on television with an appearance on the variety show That’s Incredible!, which led to other guest spots including one on The Tonight Show.
Then, Madison Avenue took notice and thought they could use him as a pitch man.
You might recognize Moschitta Jr. as the mustachioed quick-tongued businessman from the old Federal Express ads. In the early 1980s, there was no spokesperson as recognizable, unique or influential as Moschitta Jr. He won a Clio award for his Federal Express commercial in the Best Male Performance category at the time. And Ad Age magazine named the commercial one of the 100 best campaigns of all time.
Watch the original Federal Express commercial:
Video: YouTube.
The ad was so successful they did another one:
Video: YouTube.
His prodigious output got him other gigs as well, including a series of ads as the Micro Machine Man.
Video: YouTube.
Moschitta Jr. eventually did get into The Guinness Book of World Records as the World’s Fastest Talker. He spoke at the blazing speed of 586 words per minute.
He even appeared at the 55th Academy Awards reading the rules in 15 seconds introduced by Liza Minnelli:
Video: YouTube.
He even was challenged to recite the lyrics to Michael Jackson’s hit single Bad for a news program:
Video: YouTube.
Moschitta Jr. is still working today and you can hire him! For about 75 bucks you can get a personalized video message from the motormouth of the Eighties sent to a friend or loved one ona website service called Cameo.