Sunday, July 09, 2006

Anatomy of a Promotion

The connection between Hanna Barbera and Kelloggs started with Ruff and Ready but it really took off with the Yogi Bear show. This incredible 1962 promtional folder shows the effort that was put into promoting Kelloggs cereals and the show. They created ad art, in store displays and the cut out premium art. Then showcased it all in this incredible folder to get grocer excited about the promotion and hopefully give it extra space at the grocery store.

6 comments:

Ed South said...

That's when cartoons were cartoons! So many great characters!
I went to Kellogg's Cereal City a few years ago and they had all that Hanna-Barbera stuff plus more on display!

It would be nice if all those characters would make a great comeback someday!

Anonymous said...

I like the image of Yogi taping up the other characters' pictures. You'll notice that from the visible evidence, he'd earlier tried nailing them up, but wasn't entirely successful (twisted nails on the floor, bandage on one finger).
Today an ad campaign would never distract you from the point with a gag like that. It would be just Yogi standing by the pictures. What a shame.

Laclos said...

Now that is a proper cerial box! I can well remember eating out of those things. Break out the kitchen sissors and carve that puppy up! I didn't even wait until I had finished the celophane bag of cerial before I got to work.
ANYWAY - super cool site!!!

Anonymous said...

Dan,
Thanks, i found a mystery set of eight mini-"Pin-ME-Ups" years ago. They were only 2" by 3", so they weren't the cut-outs from a full size box. Now i finally know they are "TV cartoon trading cards" from the back on a variety pack.

Anonymous said...

Referenced at: http://breakfastbowl.blogspot.com/2006/07/cereal-and-bloggers_23.html

bgrauman said...

Indeed, what a promotion! And, yes, at that time [1962], "CAPTAIN KANGAROO" was partially sponsored by Kellogg's (with Bob Keeshan's approval) and "THE MAGIC LAND OF ALLAKAZAM" was Mark Wilson's live-action magic/adventure show mixed with Hanna-Barbera cartoons in an all-Kellogg's package. {"TOP CAT" had been co-sponsored by Kellogg's in its only prime-time season on ABC; however, the Saturday morning repeats were just starting, and Kellogg's took advantage of that to promote him anew}. In the 1962-'64 "WHAT'S MY LINE?" opening title for Kellogg's, you can see Yogi's box of "OK's" in the "Variety" pack when it's flashed on screen....

Oh, yes, Kellogg's had an "across-the-board" deal with local stations to carry their sponsored syndicated cartoon series at the same time every weeknight (or weekday). It was "Huck" and "Yogi" and "Quick Draw" AND "THE WOODY WOOODPECKER SHOW" {I don't know what the fifth one was, if there WAS one}. This arrangement continued until 1966.