Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S11E17 - Put A Tiger in Your Tank: Advertising Gets Animated

Episode Date: April 30, 2022

This week, we look at the history of animated commercials. One of the very first hit the air in 1941 - for “crinkle-proof ties.” Next came Reddy Kilowatt, to quell the public’s fear of electricity in the home. Then Esso’s Put a Tiger in Your Tank tangled with Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger - and that’s when the fur started to fly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,

who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please, do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan, you just have to love storytelling. Subscribe now and don't miss a single beat. This is an Apostrophe podcast production. You're so king in it.

The scores of it in an instant. Your teeth look whiter than no nose You're not you when you're hungry You're a good hand with all teeth You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. One night in 1934, Walt Disney summoned all his animators into an auditorium. For the next four hours, he told them the story of Snow White, her cruel stepmother, the evil queen, and the seven dwarfs. When he finished, the animators were entranced.

Then Walt shocked them. He said they were going to make Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs into a feature-length motion picture. It had never been done before. The Disney studio was the leader in animated short films, but had never attempted a full-length 80-minute film. Meanwhile, Hollywood scoffed. They said Snow White was a costly mistake,

that it would sink Disney. But the question remained, would an audience sit through an animated feature film? Even Walt's wife said nobody would pay a dime to see animated dwarfs for 80 minutes. But Walt Disney was visionary and determined. It was going to cost an enormous amount of money in the middle of a crippling depression. Disney funneled all its financial resources into the film,

and Walt even put up his own house as collateral. But partway through the expensive production, the studio was running out of money. They needed a huge bank loan. But would the bank finance a risky, full-length animated feature film? Walt Disney realized that, in order to secure a $250,000 loan,

he would have to show the bank a half-finished movie. He didn't want to do it, but he knew he had no choice. He invited the Vice President of the Bank of America over for a screening. Disney sat all alone with him in a theater, watching the partially finished movie and nervously explaining what was yet to come. As Disney later said, he was trying to sell the bank on a quarter of a million dollars worth of faith.

When the lights came back up, the banker didn't show the slightest reaction to what he had seen. He walked out of the projection room into the sunshine and yawned. Disney's heart sank. Then the banker said, Walt, that picture will make a pot full of money.

With that, Disney got his wish, was able to finish the film, and history was made. 750 artists created 362,000 animation cells that comprised the groundbreaking film. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs would change Hollywood forever. When it debuted on December 21, 1937, the reaction was unprecedented. It got a standing ovation from a bold over-audience. It would go on to become one of the most profitable films of all time.

When adjusted for inflation, it would gross over $1.7 billion. Walt Disney's gamble would forever establish him as a major force in Hollywood, and the world of animation would never be the same again. The magic of animation wasn't lost on the advertising industry either. Most early television commercials were done live, with talking heads describing products. But when television commercials began employing animated characters, a whole new world opened up. Animated commercials weren't just amusing.

They became some of the most popular commercials on the tube. From Cap'n Crunch to Tony the Tiger, animated advertising mascots led to a lot of sales and a doozy of a lawsuit. You're under the influence. When motion pictures were first considered back in the early 19th century, an influential article was written in 1824. It said the retina could retain an image for 1 115th of a second after it was removed. Theoretically,

that concept would allow a succession of still pictures to simulate motion. That article was written by Peter Mark Roger. You may know him from a book he wrote called Roger's Thesaurus.

That principle would eventually lead to animation. It wasn't long after the debut of Snow White that the worlds of advertising and animation first crossed paths. Research suggests

the first known animated commercial appeared in 1941. It was for a company called Botany Mills in New Jersey. It manufactured crinkle-proof wool ties. The commercial featured an animated botany lamb, which was the logo brought to life. In a typical commercial, the lamb would hang his wool tie on the wash line to show it was washable, only to see it fly off in a rainstorm and get trampled on. Lammy would eventually rescue the tie, which would look as good as new because, well, it

was crinkle-proof. Then at the end, the lamb would look through a telescope and predict the next day's weather. In this case, rain. The commercials would air every night at 9 p.m. on NBC. The botany lamb commercials were produced by Douglas Lee. He was famous for being the first person to create dramatic, electrically lit advertising signs in Times Square. He was known as the Tungsten Tycoon.

The Botany Lamp commercials were directed by Otto Mesmer, who was famous for the Felix the Cat cartoons. Felix the Cat, the wonderful, wonderful cat. Whenever he gets in a fix, he reaches into his bag of tricks. Felix the Cat would also claim a little advertising history. It would become the first cartoon character ever licensed to an advertiser. First, to a Los Angeles Chevrolet dealer, then to cigarettes. Another of the earliest examples of animation in advertising was a character called Ready Kilowatt. It was created by the manager of the Alabama Power Company back in 1926. He was trying to come up with a way to allay the public's fears

about electricity in the home. It's hard to imagine there was a time when people were afraid of electricity. But then again, it was so revolutionary, it must have seemed miraculous and frightening. The manager was watching a storm from a window one night when he saw a bolt of lightning go out in four directions. It looked like a stick figure. In that moment, Reddy Kilowatt was born. He was a friendly little character

made out of five lightning bolts with a round smiling face and a light bulb for a nose. He was used to quell fears about electricity and to teach folks how power could change their lives. As the industry matured

and the public became comfortable with electricity, Ready Kilowatt transitioned into a customer educational tool. When it made the jump from print to television in 1947, Ready Kilowatt was animated by none other than Walter Lantz, who had also created this lovable guy. Lance brought Ready Kilowatt to life and gave him a theme song. I'm a real life wire and I never tire Yes sir, I'm a red hot shot I can cook your meals, turn the factory wheels

Cause I'm Ready Kilowatt was a pioneering commercial character created over 90 years ago. It was used by electrical companies worldwide and is still used today by Barbados Light and Power in the Caribbean. Not many people know that Walt Disney began his career illustrating ads in Kansas City. Using that knowledge, he went on to found the Disney Film Studio with his brother Roy. After the lean World War II years, the studio was in need of cash again. Producing animated commercials was the answer. Utilizing Disney's renowned animators, the studio created dozens of very profitable ads.

Sometimes, Disney would lend its established characters to commercials, like Peter Pan for Peter Pan Peanut Butter, or Jiminy Cricket for Nash Automobiles. A dream is a wish your heart makes When you see a star A Nash is a star of car makes It outshines all others by far. Other times, Disney would create animated characters for brands, like Fresh Up Freddy for 7-Up. Remember folks, food, laughs, and 7-Up. Give every party a real laugh.

Now think of it like 7-Up, 7-Up. Give every party a real laugh. Disney's advertising projects also provided work for Disney's roster of voice actors, like Sterling Holloway. It's true, you know. Ask any little girl. When it comes to entertaining, there's nothing quite like Jell-O. It's so bright, so colorful, It's like something out of Wonderland. But once Disney's bank accounts were topped up again, the studio stopped doing ads in the late 50s. Plus, Walt Disney didn't like being at the whim of overly demanding clients. I hear you, Walt. Back in 1961, Quaker was developing a new breakfast cereal. This new cereal had one defining characteristic.

It stayed crunchy in milk longer than other cereals. So Quaker's advertising agency asked an animation studio to develop an animated character for their commercials. There was one stipulation. The character had to have the word crunch in its name. The animation studio was called J. Ward Productions. It was famous for producing many animated cartoon series, including this one. A loop, a whirl, and a vertical climb, and once again you'll know it's time for the adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends.

Jay Ward gave the serial assignment to one of his writers named Alan Burns. Burns created a seagoing character named Captain Crunch. Full name, Captain Horatio Magellan Crunch. Burns even penned a backstory. Captain Crunch was born on Crunch Island, located in a sea of milk. It was a magical place of talking trees, kooky creatures, and a fabled Mount Crunchmoor made entirely of cereal. There was even a nemesis, a pirate named Jean LaFoot.

The captain's mission was to sail the seven seas on his ship, the SS Guppy, and deliver his sweet cereal to the world. When Captain Crunch cereal was finally launched in 1963, the voice was supplied by voiceover artist extraordinaire, Dawes Butler. This ought to fetch him. It's Cap'n Crunch. The cereal named after me.

Cap'n Crunch. Delightfully sweet, sugar sweet, and fun to munch cause it keeps its crunch. So crisp, it never un-crunches, not even in milk. Quaker poured 80% of its advertising budget into the Cap'n Crunch launch. The animated commercials, each with a new Cap'n Crunch adventure, firmly established the brand. The cereal has been on shelves and breakfast tables for nearly 60 years now. It has weathered stormy seas when nutritionists attacked it for its sugar content, and when cereal consumption dropped, Quaker positioned it as an all-day snack for adults. And when boomers think back to their childhood breakfasts, Cap'n Crunch seems to get

the most mentions. By the way, Cap'n Crunch creator Alan Burns went on to create another character a few years later. Yep, the man who created Cap'n Horatio Magellan Crunch also created The Mary Tyler Moore Show. That little kitten meow at the end of the Mary Tyler Moore episodes

reminds me of a big legal cat fight. New year, new me. Season is here and honestly, we're already over it. Enter Felix, the healthcare company helping Canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year. Weight loss is more than just diet and exercise. It can be about tackling genetics, hormones, metabolism. Felix gets it.

They connect you with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support. Start your visit today at Felix.ca. That's F- start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program,

they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. Back in 1952, Kellogg was developing a new pre-sweetened breakfast cereal called Frosted Flakes. Taking a cue from Disney, competitor Sugarcrisp had enjoyed success with its animated sugar bear commercials. So Kellogg told their advertising agency that they wanted animals too. According to the book Serializing America,

the ad agency knew they had to overcome the parental bias to a sugar-coated kid's cereal. So they studied motivational research and discovered that juvenile facial traits, such as big eyes, broad foreheads, and small chins, made parents sigh and potentially could make them buy. So the ad agency sketched up some potential animal mascots, including Katie the kangaroo and Tony the Tiger. Frosted Flakes boxes with those images were produced and put in grocery stores. The Kangaroo boxes went unsold, but Tony the Tiger, with big eyes and a broad forehead,

flew off the shelves. Next, the ad agency hired an ex-Disney artist who had been the principal animator on Dumbo to bring Tony the Tiger to television. Tony also needed a voice. The ad agency had their eye on a man named Thurl Ravenscroft. He was part of a singing group called The Mellow Men. 50 fathoms, 50 fathoms, fifty fathoms deep. If I die, just let me lie at the bottom of the sea and sleep.

That would be Thurl. The ad agency created a fun tagline for Tony the Tiger, and Thurl's baritone nailed it. They're great! From that point on, Tony the Tiger became a TV staple for decades, appearing in both animated commercials and ads that mixed live action with animation. First, put a tiger on your team with Kellogg's sugar-frosted flakes. These big crisp flakes of corn with a toasted in sugar frosting have good food energy.

Meanwhile, across the street at a certain gas station, a tiger first appeared as a mascot for the Esso brand in, of all places, Norway back in the early 1900s. It leapt across the ocean in 1959. Esso wanted to distinguish itself from other fuel companies. That's a tricky thing because the public sees gasoline as a commodity with only price or location determining sales. But Esso knew it had a powerful mascot in the Tiger. Then, in 1964, a young ad writer at the McCann Erickson Advertising Agency coined a catchy slogan, put a tiger in your tank. You know, some people have been coming into our SO stations expecting to see a real live

tiger. Well, of course, we can't guarantee that. But we can promise to put a tiger in your tank with our new high-energy Esso Extra Gasoline. The ad agency asked Bob Jones, a children's book illustrator, to create the new look for the tiger. He made the big cat look friendly, with a smile, but also muscular, to symbolize the power of Esso fuel. The Put a Tiger in Your Tank campaign was not only a huge advertising win, it also led to massive merchandising. Esso sold over 2.5 million fake tiger tails that could dangle from your rearview mirror or your gas cap. Time magazine proclaimed 1964 as

the Year of the Tiger along Madison Avenue. The Esso mascot, which Esso referred to as the Whimsical Tiger, was used by Esso in 23 countries over five continents. When Esso changed its name to Exxon in 1972, it said, we're changing our name, but not our stripes. We know how life goes. New father, new routines, new locations. What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest.

And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. I always wondered how Tony the Tiger and the Esso Tiger got along. Both animated tigers look so similar. It was almost as if the tiger worked for Kellogg's, but moonlighted for Esso. And they sometimes even popped up in the same commercial breaks.

It appears they coexisted peacefully until 1996. That's when Kellogg brought a huge lawsuit against Exxon, claiming trademark infringement. It was a very interesting case. They had coexisted for so long because they operated in two different categories, Exxon's Tiger and Fuel and Kellogg's Tony the Tiger in breakfast cereal. But in 1986, Exxon got into the service station convenience store business,

then began branding those stores as Tiger Marts in 1993. The whimsical tiger imagery was used throughout those stores, and by 1996, Exxon had over 200 tiger marts. That's when Kellogg filed the lawsuit. Kellogg maintained that Exxon had moved into the food business, as the service station convenience stores sold food.

Therefore, there was trademark infringement. Kellogg demanded that Exxon stop using its cartoon tiger imagery and animated commercials and deliver all its tiger merchandise to Kellogg so it could be destroyed. The cereal company also demanded punitive damages. Exxon objected to the lawsuit, saying that if Kellogg had a problem with Exxon's cartoon tiger,

it should have brought that up 30 years ago. Kellogg said it had sent a letter to Exxon in 1972, saying it objected to the whimsical tiger in Exxon's advertising. Exxon said that while it was in receipt of that letter, Kellogg didn't file any legal objections at that time. The fuel company made a further interesting point. It said that Kellogg knew Exxon was using its cartoon tiger imagery at its tiger marts as far back as 1993

because they could prove Kellogg's salespeople had been filling up with gas at Exxon service stations and they were well aware of the branding. Yet, Kellogg didn't file their lawsuit until 1996. Therefore, Exxon stated the lawsuit should be thrown out because of Kellogg's unreasonable delay in asserting its objections Exxon maintained that by waiting three years to put Exxon on notice Kellogg had signaled its acquiescence or acceptance

of Exxon's cartoon Tiger Mart imagery and furthermore, that the delay had resulted in Exxon continuing to invest time and millions of dollars on its Tiger Mart branding. Not to mention the previous 30 years' worth of investment and goodwill. Kellogg defended its delay. It said it didn't feel threatened until 1996, when Exxon crossed a threshold in the number of convenience stores it had opened that sold food and beverages. It was a nasty catfight.

At the end of the day, the court sided with Exxon. First and foremost, the court agreed that Kellogg did not file the objection in a timely manner. The unreasonable delay had signaled that Kellogg was actively consenting to Exxon's use of the cartoon tiger. Second, by not filing the motion years earlier, it prejudiced Exxon's case, as Exxon continued to invest in the cartoon tiger when it could have been halted years, if not decades, earlier. Third, although Exxon had moved into the convenience store business, the court recognized that Exxon was a retailer of food, not a manufacturer of food like Kellogg. Therefore, there would be no confusion in the minds of the public. Tony the Tiger was established as a cereal mascot, and the Exxon Tiger was established as a fuel mascot.

They were not competitors in the same market. Case closed. Meow. There's a long and interesting history of animation in the advertising world. Witnessing the magic Walt Disney created, advertisers saw a way to tiptoe into viewers' hearts. Animation allowed brands to create perfect spokes-characters that were cute and funny and memorable. And brands would own them outright. Advertisers realized they could do things in animation

they couldn't do with live action. And animated characters didn't die, didn't get ill, they didn't make huge salary demands, and they didn't get arrested. A lot of animated ads were staples of Saturday morning cartoons tucked inside popular shows like Rocky and Bullwinkle. It was a full 360-degree experience. Kids watched Jay Ward's cartoons,

then watched the animated ads he created inside those cartoons. Many talented people worked on animated commercials, from Walter Lance to Walt Disney to Mary Tyler Moore creator Alan Burns. And while animated characters didn't give their owners any grief, it wasn't always smooth sailing. Kellogg and Exxon coexisted, delicately, for over 30 years, until Kellogg thought Exxon stepped on its tail. Then the fur started to fly.

But that only proves the value of animation. It was worth fighting over in court. As a certain banker once said, animation can make pots of money. When you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound Engineer, Jeff Devine.

Theme music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Putting the Woo in Hollywood, Marketing the Movies, Season 8, Episode 8. You'll find it in our archives wherever you listen to podcasts. If you'd like to be the first to know the latest

under the influence news, get insider peeks at upcoming episodes and events, subscribe to our newsletter at apostrophepodcasts.ca. See you next week. Fun fact, when John Lennon heard Snow White sing, Do You Want to Know a Secret? Promise Not to Tell, it inspired him to write, Do You Want to Know a Secret? on the the Beatles debut album.

New year, new me. Season is here and honestly, we're already over it. Enter Felix, the healthcare company helping Canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year. Weight loss is more than just diet and exercise. It can be about tackling genetics, hormones, metabolism. Felix gets it. They connect you with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support. Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era, dive into Peloton workouts that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering

a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not, just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca.