Posted on 11/01/2008 1:01:03 AM PDT by raccoonradio
Some of the most influential and popular TV commercials of the 1950s were the Bert and Harry Piels Beer spots created by UPA (and later on animated by Terrytoons). Much of their popularity was due to the great dialogue tracks provided by Bob Elliot and Ray Goulding (aka Bob and Ray) and the appealing animation directed by Gene Deitch. If youve been wondering where you could see these, Asifa-Hollywood has just posted a whole slew of the early ones on their Animation Archive blog. Go there now!
http://www.animationarchive.org/2008/10/advertising-upas-bert-and-harry-piels.html
>>Time magazine wrote of the spots...
For five years the softest sell on East Coast TV and radio opened with a gruff, bullying “Hello viewers, I’m Bert Piel and this is my brother Harry.” Cartoon characters created by UPA (Mr. Magoo) and given voice by radio’s Bob (Elliott) & Ray (Goulding), Boisterous Bert and Harried Harry were pitchmen for Piel’s Beer- and invariably the pitch went awry. The lights failed during a taste-test, the man-in-the-street interview turned up a long-winded Piel’s fan who would not let Bert get his motivational research questions in edgewise, the labels got switched during a beer test and Brand X’s foam lasted longer. Bert and Harry not only spoofed Piel’s but Madison Avenue itself, put a new twist in kidding commercials.
The viewers (Bert invariably addressed the radio audience as “radio viewers”) loved it, and for three years Piel’s sales set new records.
It's Dr. Seuss for "'Gansett"!
yeah there are collections of their stuff for sale...they did
some NPR shows in the 80s, too. Ray no longer with us...
Mary Backstayge, Noble Wife
The Komodo Dragon
—ly Ballou (his mic turned on a sec too late...)
Thanks for this post! Great stuff!
you’re welcome!
Bob & Ray rule!
It's a slow load and the commercial doesn't start until the 19th second. Still, it is great to see Richard Farnsworth again (The Grey Fox)
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