Post's Raisin Bran cereal took advantage of the increasingly popular dried fruit and teamed up with the Raisins to help promote their boxed cereal, and fast food chain Hardees bought a license to produce the incredibly popular collectible Raisins figurines. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it. [4] To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, paving the way for several future commercials and opportunities through other media. It taxed both growers and packers. These days, some growers are abandoning ship entirely, ripping out their vineyards and planting almonds instead. Michael Jackson asked to be featured in a sequel. They were the California Raisins. The California Raisins merchandising snowballed into 300 different products, including clothing, bed sheets, Halloween costumes, car accessories, lunch boxes, and even toilet paper. SW: Within a month of its release, the album went gold. Raised in the California sunshine WERNER: He volunteered and said 'I won't be paid, I just want to be a raisin, I have one thing I need to ask though, I will not talk to anybody from the advertising agency, and I will not talk to any clients. CALRAB, the organization who made the campaign, was also closed on July 31, 1994, due to disagreements with raisin producers over the fairness of required payments to the organization. Check mate. A California Raisins Fan Club began in 1987, which included a Grapevine Gazette newsletter and various memorabilia. SW: That's another thing that makes the raisin industry different. AD ONE: Lay some happiness on me, give me raisins and I'll be. Heard it! First aired on September 14, 1986, Werner's idea for a 30-second television commercial introduced audiences to The California Raisins, a group of anthropomorphized raisins with expressive eyebrows, stylish shoes, and the slickest dance moves since the Chiquita Banana shimmied into advertising in the 1940s. You can have a talking head, you can have a situation' you know, there were like formulas on how to do this. Logistics aside, there is a hint of the dancing raisins magic in the air again. Artist. Those California Raisins weren't just in California anymore. Seth Werner and CALRABthe agency responsible for hyping up California raisinsthey had delivered a hit. And this broke the mold. It seems like everyone in Motown heard about this song "through the grapevine" before it was finally recorded. 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. So Fresno is like Eden for raisins. (laughs). And because they were big companies, not headquartered in the Fresno circle, they were not at the table, and participating in all of this back-and-forth. And because Sunmaid was so much biggerthe Kleenex of raisins!they suspected that brand was getting a bigger share of the sales that had trickled down from the ad. Note: This transcript may contain errors. Sunmaid. As for the music, the commercial featured Buddy Miles, a Carlos Santana collaborator and drummer for Jimi Hendrix, singing "I Heard It Through The Grapevine"picked because of the obvious connection between grapes and raisins, but also because the song had seen a resurgence after the Marvin Gaye version had been used for the opening scene of the 1983 hit movie The Big Chill. Lead vocals in the group were sung by musician Buddy Miles. Commissioned by the California Raisin Advisory Board (CALRAB), a trade group of raisin producers in Californias Central Valley, the commercial was part of a multi-million dollar campaign to combat slowing raisin sales. There were California Raisins lunchboxes, then Hardee's started handing out plastic Raisins figurines with Cinnamon 'n' Raisin biscuits. I heard it through the grapevine. Required fields are marked *. SW: Again, Seth Werner, sockless ad copywriter. SW: This is Seth Werner. All Rights Reserved. RV: Oh no, to me it at one point it kind of went beyond that. SW: The winning concept was a raisin with big eyes, a defined nose, and a wide mouthperfect for lip syncing. 1 Mar. Hell no! SW: Back in Fresno, the raisin growers and packers watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins turned into superstars. We apologize for the interruption. Werner's big idea was going to be a risk, especially without the celebrity spokesperson the client had requested. Dancing Raisins "Heard It Through the Grapevine". So, give them raisins! We apologize for the interruption. CH: This episode was reported and produced by Sarah Wyman, with Julia Press and me, Charlie Herman. The comedy podcast Felix Navipod features discussion of the California Raisins on all 166 episodes of its run. If you have any issues please contact me before leaving negative response I will always do my best make it right! I treat my vines as if they were my children. The tape was rewound and the presentation repeated.". Because, in Fresno, California Raisins has always meant something bigger than a couple of claymation figurines singing "I Heard It Through the Grapevine.". She would always show them to me and talk to me about them and how cute and clever they were, and I just thought, why in the world is a grown woman so excited about something so ridiculous? Unlike the smaller brands in the industry, it could afford to pay for that space. SW: The ad agency hired a guy named Will Vinton and his team to take the animated mockup of the ad and turn it into clay animationor, claymation. If you require a personal response, please use ourContact page. And since they were already touring the country, at least on TV screens, there was only one logical next step. If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. Can you just give me an assignment? SW: I was not even alive when most of those ads aired, and I had the same experience. I believe it might have been a public service announcement', 'Dear Judy: Generally when you hear from me, a problem is involved. Strong came up with the idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him. Would everyone contribute to the cost of an ad campaign? Today, it would go viral. Listen on:Apple Podcasts |Stitcher | Spotify |and more. While todays commercials may depict M&Ms and cookies with unique personas, the California Raisins hold a special place as '80s pop culture icons. Today, the story of the California Dancing Raisins. California Raisins T-shirt ~ I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ Claymation 80s. The "Heard It Through the Grapevine" theme is fabulous. They were tired of paying into a shared piggybank for the greater good. And if you ever saw him. SW: But even as the dancing raisins scored these victories, back in Fresno, things were heating up. CH: A warship, the USS Pyro, even asked permission to sail with a California Dancing Raisins flag flying high above ahoy mateys! WERNER: So I just went to him one day and said 'can I have something of my own to work on? And so, with a $7.5 million campaign on the line, Werner hit play and began dancing across the room to the old Motown hit "I Heard it Through the Grapevine.". I heard it through the grapevine. Not this time, however! CH: We're back. SW: Lots of details would have to be worked out first. They're just a staple. But the Raisinss influence went beyond just TV and music and began to invade all levels of pop culture. And their arms were like small, and they had like little legs. SW: Unity has been a longstanding challenge for the raisin industry. SW: All of those different factors combined add up to the final, and most important challenge for the raisin industry. Harry Overly became the new president of Sunmaid in 2017. In 1985, he was a copywriter at the ad agency Foote, Cone, and Belding. AD SIX: Oh, I heard it through the grapevine! There were some other big names, like Dole and Del Monte, but they didn't just sell raisins. SPEAKER TWELVE: And it was all claymation, and they'd sing Christmas carols and stuff there were I think other characters and things in it as well. People loved the singing, dancing Claymation raisins so much that more commercials followed, andin a marketing scheme that was virtually unheard of at the timeThe California Raisins went on to release four albums, score a Billboard Hot 100 hit, and earn an Emmy nomination (and appear in an Emmy-winning show). Sheet Music I Heard It Through the Grapevine. "We decided that we wanted the raisins to be cool and a bit intimidating," Werner said. BK: No, what we got was him for free, but he wasn't gonna do anything. I know a man ain't supposed to cry. Almost across the board, everyone I spoke to had good things to say about the ad itself. Visit the IIIF page to learn more. onefunplace. Little disagreements surfaced. Brought to you by is a production of Insider Audio. Perhaps the most memorable piece of California Raisins merchandise, however, came in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins figures. And ultimately, when everyone failed to agree, the raisins took the fall. SW: I, before I started working on this story, did not even eat raisins. The answer? Concept illustrations of the Raisins were also featured as interviewees discussed the characters' creation.[17]. We may update this record based on further research and review. But these tears I can't hold inside. Oh, that's sweet. They starred in two claymation TV shorts, and a Christmas special that won an Emmy! . et Cie, S.C.A. WERNER: A frame was one snapshot. I mean, really, most of us don't give raisins a whole lot of attention..they are just kind of everywhere: in our cereals, bagels, and, of course, kid's lunch boxes. Which meant packers couldn't slap a Dancing Raisin on their packaging or use the characters in ads unless they got their idea approved by the board. They sold most of their raisins in bulk, to ingredient customers, like cereal brands or bakeries. Some years later, Noel Gallagher stands on a stage strumming his guitar while . And some of them played instruments, maybe?SPEAKER TWO: All dancing in the real world, but in their little clay situation.SPEAKER THREE: They were disproportionately raisinly huge. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Go directly to shout page. [9] Blackthorne Publishing also released a six-issue comic book series entitled The California Raisins 3-D which included 3D glasses; these would later be re-released in the Ultimate Collection trade paperback. And he says, even though the Dancing Raisins are long gone, he and the rest of the industry are still dealing with the fallout. Scrobbling is when Last.fm tracks the music you listen to and automatically adds it to your music profile. TikTok video from Shug (@sonyastanford2). Blastfrompasttoys. Like that. Not much longer would you be mine. It's being threatened by growing raisin production in other countries. Condition: Used. But in 1994, the. I don't care how small or whatever, but something that's not part of what you're doing.'. Like the whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about. Unless you just happened to have a VCR set up and recording at the exact moment the ad aired WERNER: You had to wait and hopefully see it on TV again on some show you were watching and not know when that was coming, and because we didn't have a very big media budget, it wasn't on that often. This special saw the Raisins hiring a new manager with the goal of making a comeback. Constitution Avenue, NW The Raisins released numerous studio albums in the 1980s, starred in a cartoon series, and were nominated for an Emmy for their 1988 "Meet the Raisins" mockumentary. BK: If you're one of the largest ingredient buyers for bread or cereal or something, then really you're paying for it, right? The ads storyboards were pretty simple: A bunch of raisins dance in a line across the screen, grooving to the Motown sound that had been rejuvenated by the success of The Big Chills 6 million-selling soundtrack. SW: And that tax is paying for a campaign that's not even advertising your product! Bill Moss is our sound engineer. (of Suite D2 Josephs Well, Hanover Walk, Leeds LS3 1AB) which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (with firm reference number 626349). Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. SETH WERNER: It wasn't back then, and it still isn't now. It keeps you in shape. Lived here my whole life. Most of the time when we buy raisins, we have no idea where they came from. Qualifying purchases could enjoy 0% interest if paid in full in 4 months on purchases of 99+. That's what happened. 80s classic toys. BK: Well, the simplest way to answer that is, 'how do you define success?' Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. CHARLIE HERMAN: On September 14, 1986, California's hottest new band made its debut. SW: Let me explain. RAISINS: Oooh I heard it through the grapevine, raised in the California sunshine. KB: Vine doesn't know who it belongs to. Thanks to everyone who left us voicemails and shared their memories of the California Raisins in our Facebook group. It lost message. No, not really. You know, what kind of legs does he have so he could do a dance appropriately, does he have oversized shoes, you know, what do they look like? Just one piece! BK: So the bottom line was you didn't have industry consensus. 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