We’re continuing from where we left off last week, with more goodies from the Kaiser quilted foil collection. Stan Freberg conceived these spots for the Young & Rubicam agency, and also appeared as the voice of Clark Smathers, the aluminum foil salesman. The animation was produced by Playhouse Pictures.
Statue
The next installment of the Clark Smathers saga. He tries once more to get the grocer to carry his wares. That’s June Foray as the shopper…
As part of the campaign to get Kaiser foil on the shelves, Stan Freberg had convinced Young & Rubicam to send out “Grocer Survival Kits” to the stores. According to Freberg’s 1988 autobiography, the kits included- “…a cardboard mallet for fighting back against overzealous Kaiser Foil salesmen. It also contained a small first-aid kit to repair bumps on the head.”
If the stores stocked Kaiser foil, the stores would be sent a supply of medals for the clerks to wear on their coats. “The medal would glitter,” said Freberg, “being laminated with Kaiser quilted foil. The medal would read, ‘DON’T HIT ME, I’VE GOT IT!’ When a customer would ask, ‘You’ve got what?’ the clerk could say, ‘Kaiser foil. Aisle 3.'”
Other Foil Grabber
Now that Kaiser foil is in the shops, Smathers must make his case to the consumers. Animation by Bill Littlejohn.
These spots referred to Munro Leaf’s “Watchbird” drawings, with lines like “Were YOU an other foil grabber this week?” and “This is Clark Smathers watching you!”
…And there were some commercials about a rival foil company trying to discover the secret of “quilting”. Here is a storyboard for what seems to be an unproduced spot. It was drawn by Chris Jenkyns, and most likely written by Stan Freberg. It is being shown in public for the first time anywhere! (Click thumbnails to enlarge)
We have even more Kaiser stuff in the files, so we may have more quilted comedy in a future post. Stay tuned…
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.
My contribution: some of the many commercials for Raid with vocal work from Pelusa Suero; a very long series that continues even today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJlyBzC6tCE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFMDy45mpLc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0w1xM8IDLg
I enjoyed the Kaiser commercial in the last post. Glad you put up more!
Stan Freberg is always fun to listen to. Hope you have more of them!
First heard of these spots on Stan Freberg’s audio/video box set.Actually,the spots don’t need animation.They sound great!
If you’re not familiar with the movie (shame on you) what is probably meant by “‘Man in White Suit’ type effects” can be heard in this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMwFxUQx1PI
Just want to comment. I found you by looking for info about a Kaiser quilted foil ad that I’ve always remembered — from the early days of Maverick! The animations were very slight sketches on a blank white background. R&D for Brand X are being pushed to have the quilted product ready. The R&D rep runs up a twisting stairway — just a jagged line to represent the steps climbing (as if to the top of a tower?) He cracks open a door and asks “How’s it coming ladies?” And a very creaky voice replies, “Slowly . . . very slowly,” and is revealed to be one of 2 or 3 very old ladies, quilting by hand. Somehow that just slayed me and I’ve remembered forever. I periodically reply to someone’s question, in that caricature old lady voice: “Slowly . . . very slowly,” but nobody gets it.
What about the commercial with the line; “Hennesy, drop the elephant on the Kaiser foil”?