"Brought to you by....."

[Cincinnati Kid]

With regards to sponsor identification during a show, Dick Clark had the early Saturday night show from New York City on ABC-TV that featured singers on stage with a live audience which seemed to be made up of mostly teenage girls. Apparently, every one of the teenagers was given a pack of Beechnut gum, the program's sponsor, when they came in the door. When the cameras showed the audience during performances, almost every girl was seen vigorously chewing the product. You can even see it now when those old clips are shown. I sometimes wonder what those young ladies - now much older - think when they see those pictures now?

 

[tlyle]

It's this factor of sponsorship that explains the empty corner either on the lower left or lower right on syndicated prints of many shows from the 1960's.....

Or also causes full edits -- I know that I Love Lucy cut some product shots and mentions of Philip Morris cigarettes when it went into reruns and syndication. (Although, thankfully, Lucy's parody of PM icon Johnny "Call For Philip Morris" Roventini remains intact.)

Here is a link from TVParty.com concerning the Lucy Commercial and other commercials where smoking was promoted.

http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/ilovelucy.ram

http://www.tvparty.com/tv/ilovelucy1.ram

Check out this Flintstones commercial and smoking:
http://www.tvparty.com/tv/flintalttheme.ram
http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/flintbig2.ram

And the link that talks about other commercials and tv show sponsors.

http://www.tvparty.com/vaultcomcig.html

 

[bk77]

It's this factor of sponsorship that explains the empty corner either on the lower left or lower right on syndicated prints of many shows from the 1960's.....

Or also causes full edits -- I know that I Love Lucy cut some product shots and mentions of Philip Morris cigarettes when it went into reruns and syndication. (Although, thankfully, Lucy's parody of PM icon Johnny "Call For Philip Morris" Roventini remains intact.)

Here is a link from TVParty.com concerning the Lucy Commercial and other commercials where smoking was promoted.

http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/ilovelucy.ram

http://www.tvparty.com/tv/ilovelucy1.ram

Check out this Flintstones commercial and smoking:
http://www.tvparty.com/tv/flintalttheme.ram
http://www.tvparty.com/vault3/flintbig2.ram

Pretty much just about every TV show from the 1950's promoted smoking in one form or another From shows like I Love Lucy, Ed Sullivan and Garry Moore where a cigarette company sponsored their shows to others where cigarettes were simply featured such as showing the cast smoking away and why not? I believe back in the 50's some 80% of all American adults smoked and of course smoking was allowed just about everywhere. Department stores like Macys and JC Penney offered ashtrays as a courtesy to its smoking customers. People smoked while shopping in supermarkets and retail stores had no problem selling them to kids either ( one BIG reason why so many long time smokers started their habits so young ). Hollywood stars would often smoke on the silver screen. The Army gave out free smokes. Doctors and nurses would smoke in hosptials even while they are taking care of patients If one was offered a cigarette back then and they said no..that was actually considered "rude".

Of all the commericals that aired on TV in the 50's, the ones that are the most remembered are the ones for cigarettes. A slice of life from the 50's that is very taboo today. While today it may seem very strange and odd to see the Flintstones selling Winstons, back in 1960 hardly anyone cared.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

From one who has listened to and viewed commercials from the 1930's to the present and with the dangers of smoking totally aside (and this is not to minimize that in any way), my feeling has long been that the greatest commercials on radio and later in TV were those for cigarettes.

 

[YEKIMI]

Wonder how many who were influenced to take up smoking by those ads are still around to remember them?

 

[timmyb]

Here's three more:

Lassie - I think thru the 3 CBS incarnations (Jeff, Timmy and the Ranger) - had as the main (if not sole) sponsor Campbell's Soups.

Gunsmoke - I have the first two season's DVDs, had L&M cigarettes and Remington shavers.

American Bandstand - I think had a multitude of teen related sponsors, Clearasil, Coppertone, Certs, Dr Pepper, Noxzema among others.

 

[mleach]

From one who has listened to and viewed commercials from the 1930's to the present and with the dangers of smoking totally aside (and this is not to minimize that in any way), my feeling has long been that the greatest commercials on radio and later in TV were those for cigarettes.

Chances are you may already knew this but there are a LOT of old cigarette TV ads on www.archive.org .

I don't know if that site has had the same problem over commericals as You Tube had since sometimes the ads on that site "disappear" only to come back later.

One of the more interesting cigarette ads I remember seeing on archive.org was the one for KOOL cigarettes involving the couple who played Dennis' parents on the old sitcom Dennis the Menace. No, the cigarette maker never did sponsor Dennis the Menace but in the late 60's, I am going to say 1967 or 1968, two of the main cast members of that show did appear in one ad for KOOL, sort of like a "mini-reunion" between Herbert Anderson and Gloria Henry. Anderson & Henry in the ad played your average 1968 suburban husband and wife smoking KOOLS. No reference was made to Dennis the Menace at all in the commerical.
Oddly going back to Dennis The Menace, other than the occassional pipe, the Mitchells were more or less, a non-smoking couple.

 

[bpatrick]

I may have told this story before, but back in
the 1960s Kent cigarettes sponsored "The Ed
Sullivan Show," and the Kent people had become
concerned about kids and teenagers taking up
smoking. They asked their ad agency not to
place Kent's ads before rock groups or other acts
that might appeal to young people. One Sunday
their ad was scheduled late in the show, after all
the kid-appeal acts and before Blossom Seeley,
whose career stretched back to vaudeville and who
would have had no appeal to young people. We're
protected, the ad-agency people thought. So what
does Sullivan do? "Before all you youngsters can watch
a real pro in action, here's a word from Kent cigarettes."

 

[oldiesfan6479]

The Andy Griffith Show had their vehicles supplied by Ford.

Including--from the Linc/Merc division--a few Mercury Comets used
as "crook-mobiles." I recall them being used in several episodes--
by bank robbers, also "Miz Lesh" who sold Barney the lemon used car,
which also happened to be a Ford, of course. And lest we forget
Ain't Bee's Ford convertible.

 

[Stanislav]

I may have told this story before, but back in
the 1960s Kent cigarettes sponsored "The Ed
Sullivan Show," and the Kent people had become
concerned about kids and teenagers taking up
smoking. They asked their ad agency not to
place Kent's ads before rock groups or other acts
that might appeal to young people. One Sunday
their ad was scheduled late in the show, after all
the kid-appeal acts and before Blossom Seeley,
whose career stretched back to vaudeville and who
would have had no appeal to young people. We're
protected, the ad-agency people thought. So what
does Sullivan do? "Before all you youngsters can watch
a real pro in action, here's a word from Kent cigarettes."

What do you expect from a man who once introduced The Three Stooges as The Ritz Brothers? :

 

[ixnay]

of course cigarette ads were banned from TV and radio nationwide in 1971 though the ban took place earlier in a few cities. For example such ads were banned from Baltimore, Maryland TV in 1968

What did Baltimore stations do when the networks aired spots for ciggies (or "cancer sticks", as my boss at work has called them)? Did they manage to black out those spots?

ixnay

P.S. I've never touched cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco, at least with thoughts of consumption. I tried smokeless tobacco once. It burned. Pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips, chocolates, cheezeits, and colas are my "tobacco". ;D

ixnay

 

[Stanislav]

P.S. I've never touched cigarettes, cigars, or pipe tobacco, at least with thoughts of consumption. I tried smokeless tobacco once. It burned. Pretzels, potato chips, tortilla chips, chocolates, cheezeits, and colas are my "tobacco". ;D

Given the current "War on Junk Food," those ads may be next to go....

 

[therealjm12]

Interesting about the use of AMC cars on Adam 12. I noticed the switch from Plymouth Belvedere's and thought it was odd. Now I know it just made the show more realistic because the LAPD used AMC's. I have never seen an AMC car used as a police cruiser elsewhere.
On another note, I did actually see a '62 Chevy parked on the street of Mayberry on an very early episode of Andy Griffith the other night. A 55 or 56 Buick passed Andy & Barney on the street a couple times, too. There is another car used in that show that I see all the time. I don't know what kind of car it is, but probably is a Ford. It is pre WW II. It is a dark colored convertible and looks like a two seater. I think it was the car Otis bought when he decided he wanted to drive. It's in almost every older episode, parked on the street or driving by. Must be a story behind that car.

 

[mleach]

of course cigarette ads were banned from TV and radio nationwide in 1971 though the ban took place earlier in a few cities. For example such ads were banned from Baltimore, Maryland TV in 1968

What did Baltimore stations do when the networks aired spots for ciggies (or "cancer sticks", as my boss at work has called them)? Did they manage to black out those spots?

ixnay

Group W ( WJZ ) banned cigarette ads in 1968 ( give or take a year or two ). According to a friend of mine who worked at Baltimore's WMAR at the time, they quickly follwed suit. As soon as the contracts expsired, no more such ads on WMAR and he was also saying that WBAL did the same. I don't know if WMET channel 24 aired them though. He never told me what the stations did air in place of them, my guess either local spots or a PSA. I would imagine that by that time cigarette ads were so controversal plus that equal time thing ( anti-smoking PSAs ) I assume the networks gave the local stations the option not to air them if they choose not too.

It was already well known back then ( 1968-1969 ) that such ads would be gone within a year or two.

 

[BrigThomson]

of course cigarette ads were banned from TV and radio nationwide in 1971 though the ban took place earlier in a few cities. For example such ads were banned from Baltimore, Maryland TV in 1968

What did Baltimore stations do when the networks aired spots for ciggies (or "cancer sticks", as my boss at work has called them)? Did they manage to black out those spots?

ixnay

Group W ( WJZ ) banned cigarette ads in 1968 ( give or take a year or two ). According to a friend of mine who worked at Baltimore's WMAR at the time, they quickly follwed suit. As soon as the contracts expsired, no more such ads on WMAR and he was also saying that WBAL did the same. I don't know if WMET channel 24 aired them though. He never told me what the stations did air in place of them, my guess either local spots or a PSA. I would imagine that by that time cigarette ads were so controversal plus that equal time thing ( anti-smoking PSAs ) I assume the networks gave the local stations the option not to air them if they choose not too.

It was already well known back then ( 1968-1969 ) that such ads would be gone within a year or two.

This might actually be a good example of broadcasting then/now. Station owners were realizing that this revenue stream was going away, and in many ways they were beginning to understand that the product could be unhealthy so they took the step to begin replacing that revenue and acting as responsible broadcasters, and began to limit what they would put on the air. Can you imagine today? The station groups would take the money up till the very last second that they could broadcast the ads..and they'd be screaming bloody murder to the NAB, FCC, DOJ and any other organization & government office that might listen to be able to get their way to keep running the ads, because we all know the ONLY thing that matters is the money.

 

[dxnemo78]

Fascinating stuff!! I don't have much recollection of a lot of this, but by gawd I just knew there was something that linked Lassie with Campbells Soup, from my most distant memory (I was 5 years old when the collie left prime time in '71). Talk about subliminal messages! OR.....maybe it has to do with all the Campbells Mom fed us on Sunday evenings :

The one with Granny, Pearl, and Miss Jane all puffing on Winstons, I'd give a dollar to see that!! ;D Sad to say I think Bea Benaderet died of lung cancer, and Nancy Kulp of throat cancer. Good chance they burned their share of 'em in Real Life...

Probably the most luxurious Ford product ever shown on Andy Griffith was the big '62 Lincoln driven by the "Man in a Hurry" in that great episode. In a later, color episode, Howard Sprague was seen to own a CHEVY, Bel Air or Impala. Well, a lot of 'em say poor ol' Howard never fit in anyway... :

 

[chrish]

BEAT THE CLOCK GAME SHOW: SYLVANIA, IF YOU WATCH THE OLD RERUNS ON THE GAME SHOW CHANNEL YOU WILL SEE SYLVANIA ALL OVER THE SET.

MANY OF THE PRIZES WERE SYLVANIA RADIOS AND TELEVISIONS

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

I remember the commercials for Sylvania Televisions during "Beat The Clock". Those sets featured a glowing light around the screen called "Halo-Light" which was said to be easier on the eyes of the viewers.

 

[bpatrick]

It's interesting that some PBS station managers
won't show Lawrence Welk because of the Geritol
logos on some of the '60s shows (I haven't heard
them complain about the Dodge logos from the '50s).

And didn't an attorney in some Midwestern state
(Kansas, I believe) force GSN to stop showing "Two
For The Money" because of the prevalence of Old Gold
logos and because Herb Shriner gave every contestant
a carton of Old Golds?

 

[Corky Marlowe]

And didn't an attorney in some Midwestern state
(Kansas, I believe) force GSN to stop showing "Two
For The Money" because of the prevalence of Old Gold
logos and because Herb Shriner gave every contestant
a carton of Old Golds?
Sounds like something John Edwards would pull..."Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, those dead game show contestants are speaking to us right now..."