If you’re like me, you would be more inclined to take the word of a cartoon animal than a real live human being. Maybe that’s why animals make the perfect commercial pitchmen. Today we devote the entire post to those lovable animated critters who’ll sell you soap, cereal, and especially beer.
Jax Beer
Featuring the voices of Mike Nichols and Elaine May. From Pelican Films. Animated by Emery Hawkins.
Duz Detergent
With the voices of June Foray and Joan Gardner.
Sugar Crisp
Before the various versions of Sugar Bear started hawking Post Sugar Crisp, there were three little bears. Normally they were done in cel animation, but this unusual spot combines live-action with stop-motion animation.
5-Day Deodorant
Directed by John Hubley and animated by Art Babbitt. Hans Conried speaks at the conclusion.
Motts Apple Juice
Directed by Paul Fennell and animated by LaVerne Harding.
Rescue Soap Pads
Produced by Playhouse Pictures in 1963. Animated by Jim Hiltz. Voices by Hal Smith and Paul Frees.
Ford Show
Another Ford Show opening from Playhouse Pictures. This one is from 1959 and features the famous Ford Dog. Directed by Bill Melendez and animated by Herman Cohen.
Mike Kazaleh is a cartoonist and animator whose work can be seen in comic books like Bongo’s The Simpsons, Futurama and Papercutz’ Gumby – and on screen in Warner Bros. Tiny Toon Adventures, Ralph Bakshi’s Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures and Cool World.
Mike:
Another great post! Those stop motion Sugar Bears were a little creepy! But the rest of the spots were just right! I especially liked the Hans Conried tag!
The influence of old-school theatrical cartoon design shows through in so many of the early commercials; and the Lantz “house style” is very evident in that Laverne Harding spot for Mott’s…no doubt about it, that goose has Woody Woodpecker’s face!
Mike–love your advertising posts ! When i was a kid (1950’s/60’s ) we only got 2 local channels on tv. That meant waiting for Sat. AM for my cartoon fix. I was always excited when a commercial with cartoon characters came on during the week. I especially remember the Jax commercials, i thought they were so funny and they still are.
Thankx for sharing and also for letting us know who produced/animated these gems! Great memories. Keep up the good work!
dja
MK-
Who did the Duz spots?!
A version of the talking dog bit showed up in a Warner Bros cartoon..Roof! Rough! And greatest baseball player? “RUTH!” ..Dog and master thrown out of the place. Dog to master;”D’ya think I shoulda said DiMaggio?”
Thinking of animals advertising products, Dr Pepper’s “Frosty Dog” came to mind. I remember first noticing the St. Bernard showing up on a YouTube video many, many years back showing a guy in an office setting going “I’m gonna blow my top” and he does literally, giving the signal for the mascot to come to his aid with a Dr Pepper. I haven’t seen it since, but the best I could share here is a recent blog article about it from the Dr Pepper Museum.
http://drpeppermuseum.wordpress.com/2014/06/30/faces-of-dr-pepper-frosty-dog/
I liked, most of all, the Nichols and May commercial. These are fantastic, and I’d like to know where you find these old commercials. There are a few that I’d like to locate, even though I don’t own a projector, not that I’d want to own the ads themselves, but where do you go to find an ad that you know you’ve seen but, somehow, doesn’t seem to be available from private collectors? If this series of posts ever resumes, someone should track down the “DINAH SHORE SHOW” openings by Art Clokey.