[22], Last edited on 21 February 2023, at 23:33, "TV Review; 'Claymation Christmas,' On CBS", "On View: A Feat of Clay: The Creator of California Raisins Molds an Animated Easter Special", "Stardom Is Feat Of Clay For California Raisins", "Bad 25: Spike Lee Brings Michael Jackson Back to Thrilling Life", "The California Raisins for Commodore 64 (1988)", "California Raisin Raisin Puppets: Late 80s - Early 90s", "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas", "Celebrating Every '80s Reference in That RadioShack Super Bowl Commercial", "California Raisins Set for Comeback in Live-Action Feature", Official Will Vinton (LAIKA) Studios Site, The Clay and Stop-Motion Animation How-To Page: "California Raisin Raisin Puppets: Late 80s - Early 90s", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_California_Raisins&oldid=1140822520, "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)" b/w "I Got You (I Feel Good)" - 1988, Purple Vinyl 7", "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" - 1988 (single, extended peaked at #84 on the, This page was last edited on 21 February 2023, at 23:33. The answer? The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. So, just like at Thanksgiving dinner, while CALRAB tried to calm everyone down and broker peace from the head of the table, squabbling raisin packers aired old grudges and argued about who was and was not getting their fair share of the cash. In 2015, it was announced that a live-action/CGI reboot of the California Raisins would be produced, with president of The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation, Rusty Citron, as one of the people behind the project. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. WERNER: Well, you know, we were at this point, we were like what else is new. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. [6] [20], In 2016, the California Raisins made an appearance in the cartoon show American Dad. Although Vinton made one last Claymation TV movie about the Raisins in 1990, the end of the '80s brought a decline in the Raisinss popularity. SPEAKER SIX: They were an incredible Motown band.SPEAKER ONE: I thought they were a real band, and really did not connect them to like raisins, or like the idea of dried grapes until well into my adulthood. You're making us put up $32.50 for generic advertising, and Sunmaid's getting the benefit of it. SW: Back in Fresno, the raisin growers and packers watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins turned into superstars. The claymation raisins singing and dancing to Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" became a kids TV show, recorded an album that went platinum, launched a range of toys and costumes, and starred in an Emmy-winning Christmas special. The band broke up. A new version of Last.fm is available, to keep everything running smoothly, please reload the site. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. PDF WERNER: They'd make these little clay models of the raisins, and I remember sitting there with one of the animators, and he'd make an expression in a mirror, and then he'd make that expression on the face of the raisin. SW: One of the people who saw that ad was Michael Jackson. Entdecke The California Raisi - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - gebrauchtes Vinyl - E8100A in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! The musical mockumentary was again created by Vinton Studios, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. I treat my vines as if they were my children. AD THREE: Raisins from California. Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles. SW: Michael Brunsfeld was the commercial animation director at a company called Colossal Pictures, which had been contracted to do a mockup of the ad. VINTAGE THE CALIFORNIA RAISINS 1987 YELLOW PLASTIC LUNCHBOX WITH THERMOS, California Raisins Trumpet Figure 1988 Applause Calrab 80s PVC Vintage, CALIFORNIA RAISINS RUDY BAGAMAN, BANANA WHITE & LICK BROCCOLI FIGURES (JES33). The California Raisins were a fictional R&B group created in the mid-1980s for a commercial produced by the California Raisin Advisory. But despite it all, by a very narrow margin, more than half the room voted to greenlight the ad. The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. And then it clicked on me that it was like, 'oh, this is a real song, like not a California Raisins song.'. Between 1987 and 1988, the fictional band released four albums, two of which went platinum. It also gave the band members individual names and roles: A.C. (vocals), Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (guitar/piano).[7]. Colossal issued a challenge to some of its animators: BRUNSFELD: How can you make a raisin look appealing? SW: Did it feel at any point while you were working on this album like you were making an ad for raisins? Matthew has observed his fair share of contentious industry meetings. It had about five million dollars to spend, which, in ad money, is not a lot. That's what happened. He's a reporter covering raisins and grapes for one of the trade magazines his family publishes. So, CALRAB proposed this big advertising campaign, with national TV commercials. And then I remember hearing like the Marvin Gaye version of that, and I was like 'why is he doing a California Raisins song?' And they had good reasons to be! WERNER: We went there because we had to meet the growers, and so we would drive, what was it, an hour, 90 minutes to Fresno from San Francisco, and the account people were all nervous on the way there like 'what are we going to do?'. Those California Raisins weren't just in California anymore. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The concept was originally created by advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board when one of the writers, Seth Werner (at the time with FCB in San Francisco) came up with an idea for the new raisin commercial, saying, "We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine'" (the 1968 song popularized by Marvin Gaye). Really?'. This is Brought to you by Brands you know, stories you don't. Check mate. In 2010, claymation versions of the California Raisins were featured in the special Christmas episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, "A Very Sunny Christmas". But Michael Jackson, well he was not about that. KB: And at this point, even though I had to vote to kill it, I side on the other side, where I helped put that program together, and was successful for ten years. It taxed both growers and packers. And on top of that, there have been many, many more lawsuits. Earlier this year, the CRMBwhich did not respond to my request for commenthired a brand new Vice President of Marketing. He's now on his second round of leading the Raisin Bargaining Association. KB: Once we started the Dancing Raisins, people were going to the store asking for Dancing Raisin raisins, and there weren't any! Little disagreements surfaced. Just to make the ad would cost $300,000. Instead, it was a group of tiny, claymation raisins playing a Motown hit in a national ad campaign. It's a tax. He was so into it that he personally got in touch with Will Vinton, the claymation animator, and asked to be included in his own commercial. But I also take the approach of, that was 30 years ago so I think it's time that we look forward because the industry is in a very dramatic, very drastically different place than it was back then. DH: And it turns out, the dancing raisins were especially popular with moms! SW: Unity has been a longstanding challenge for the raisin industry. Our collection database is a work in progress. 1 Mar. 2023. But that little piece of fruit is anything but dry and boring. (laughs) These little guys took over everybody's hearts and minds, so it didn't surprise us at the time. Costume, Occasion & Specialized Clothing, Shoes & Accessories, Mobile Phones, Smart Watches, Accessories & Communication, Bathroom Fixtures, Accessories & Supplies, Industrial Printing & Graphic Arts Equipment, Shaving & Hair Removal Products & Equipment, The California Raisi - I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Used Vinyl - E8100A, eBay (UK) Limited is an appointed representative of, Learn more about Product Partnerships Limited - opens in a new window or tab. CH: After the break, five million dollars DOES go a long way, the Dancing California Raisins conga line their way to record deals and awards, and they split the raisin industry right down the middle. Seth and his colleagues were getting fan mail forwarded to themfrom viewers, TV stations, and other advertising execs. KB: We're not getting our fair share of it. And the band wasn't playing heavy metal or rock 'n' roll. Back in 1987, the president of Priority Records got in touch with Ross, and he asked him to produce an album of Motown hits, sung by the California Raisins. That could mean that while the ad was running, more customers were buying store-brand raisins instead of Sunmaid raisins and store brand raisins were supplied by those other California raisin packers. But first, he had to get approval from the raisin growers and packers who were paying for it. CH: So where did this journey for you begin? It was the sequel to the Emmy-nominated special Meet the Raisins! SW: The raisins dance around on the lid of his grand piano while he belts out the band's catchphrase: AD SIX: Oh I heard it through the grapevine! (laughs). We may update this record based on further research and review. This client had been with his agency for over a decade, and though they'd had some fairly successful campaigns in the past, the client's main product was slipping in sales. RV: I think within 4-5 months it was platinum! But of course, that was not really the end of it. CHARLIE HERMAN: On September 14, 1986, California's hottest new band made its debut. KB: Grape and raisin grower. First, they provide tools the industry can use to regulate the raisin market. And apparently, making a clay "King of Pop" was a whole 'nother can of worms. Find top songs and albums by California Raisins including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and more. But these tears I can't hold inside. The community that created them, and the questions they left in their wake. Was the Dancing Raisins ad a success? The game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, but it was never released on the open market. Sunmaid. The claymation raisins singing and dancing to Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" became a kids TV show, recorded an album that went platinum, launched a range of toys and costumes, and starred in an Emmy-winning Christmas special. They grow grapes in the beautiful California sunshine and turn them into raisins. But the Raisinss influence went beyond just TV and music and began to invade all levels of pop culture. Refresh your browser window to try again. SW: Matthew says, whether or not the dancing raisins are part of the industry's future, he remains optimistic. Will Vinton. But back in 1994, almost ten years after the first dancing raisins ad aired, that good feeling was nowhere to be found. Raisins are not like cell phone brands, with unique features and better WiFi connectivity and a sleeker feel than their competitors. Is it that people remember it? 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