But were they a success for the raisin industry? If you have any issues please contact me before leaving negative response I will always do my best make it right! Oh! The lead singer is wailing, wearing shadesnaturally, since they were raised in the California sunshine. Was Marvin Gaye spinning in his grave? And that might be part of why some raisin packers felt like this all boiled down to: "it's us versus Sunmaid.". Our collection database is a work in progress. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. KB: Heard it through the grapevine! Lead vocals in the group were sung by musician Buddy Miles. A board member said, 'Seth, can you do it again?' See more ideas about california raisins, raisin, grape vines. He just wanted to make an ad he thought was cool. Will Vinton. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider And they had good reasons to be! Playlist, Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong, Lyrics Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore. SW: Then, you've got nature to think about. Refresh your browser window to try again. The dancing raisins got caught in the crossfire of a heated debate within the industry. I Heard It Through the Grapevine. If I tell everybody some fictitious story about you know, Chicken Little, right now to you, they might know it in Madera by 2 o'clock. Vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles. Lead vocals in the group were sung by musician Buddy Miles. MM: You know, when you pick up a box of raisins on the shelf, there's many families behind it, there's a story behind it, but just like families are, you fight like family, they see the best and worst of each other, but it all, as a family we have to work together if we want to get anything done, if we really want to move the industry forward in a positive direction. KB: Raisin processor for many years in different facilities. KB: I'll never forget, he was a handsome guy, had white shoes on, no socks, had an earring in this ear, he had the ghetto blaster up on his shoulders, and he turns it on and it's "Heard It Through the Grapevine.". TikTok video from Shug (@sonyastanford2). SETH WERNER: It wasn't back then, and it still isn't now. So many of you remembered that Christmas special. If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you saw a commercial you liked, you couldn't look it up on YouTube and send a link to a friend. Like the whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about. Web. The California Raisins were a fictional R&B group created in the mid-1980s for a commercial produced by the California Raisin Advisory. It turns out the raisin industry is actually a very contentious industry there's this long history of lawsuits going back and forth between different members. Audiences quickly connected with the Raisins authentic R&B sound, and The California Raisins version of "Grapevine" even reached No. Please take time to look at pictures I try and show condition clear as possible. Vinton and his team hired human dancers to make the Raisins's dance moves look realistic. While the songs popularized the phrase, they inspired the hit kids cartoon series "The California Raisins" in the 1990s. But in terms of its impact on the industry it depends on who you ask. SW: Back in Fresno, the raisin growers and packers watched with amazement as the Dancing Raisins turned into superstars. But anyway, there's this one line in the story that implies that even though the ad went on to be super successful, even though you and I still remember it all these years later, it may have precipitated some really huge divisions within the raisin industry. Because animators arranged each shot by hand, giving each raisin its own distinct personality (including individualized facial expressions and colorful sunglasses), the commercial took more than a month to shoot. It even led to an unauthorized collectibles guide published in 1998, cataloging the many items based on the clay characters. Not much longer would you be mine. 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. 30 of those and you have a second of the commercial. 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. SW: Kalem says the vote on whether or not to approve the ad was extremely close. And even in the 1990s, Sunmaid was like the "Kleenex" of the raisin industry. Blastfrompasttoys. They all watched as Seth walked in and took the floor. Test your MusicIQ here! SUNMAID AD: My girl talkin' bout my girl. Paul McCartney requested his own copy on VHS. But of course, that was not really the end of it. (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). [10] Different collections were produced in 1987, 1988, 1991, and finally in 2001 (the latter adding Carl's Jr. due to their late '90s acquisition of Hardee's) for their new stylization. They all want to have them back [sigh] I don't know if it's just because they love the dancing raisins, or I think more than that, is they just want a powerful campaign, you know, backing up California raisins. I mean, we didn't do anything short of that. Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine. 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. CALRAB gave the "Grapevine" pitch the green light. SW: Almost as soon as it disbanded CALRAB, the raisin industry got to work developing another agency to take its place. AD FIVE: Honey, are you playing with your food again? - The California Raisins II. 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. But Barry Kriebel says, at that point, the actual facts had stopped mattering. Demand was down. And the band wasn't playing heavy metal or rock 'n' roll. The face took up most of the raisin's body MB: And then there was little wrinkles here and there, but the more you emphasize that, the more it looked, you know, kind of like a weird prune. California Raisin's Version. It was merely entertaining." There were California Raisins lunchboxes, then Hardee's started handing out plastic Raisins figurines with Cinnamon 'n' Raisin biscuits. We may update this record based on further research and review. These wildly popular clay animation raisins grew into far more than their creators had ever dreamed of. I believe it might have been a public service announcement', 'Dear Judy: Generally when you hear from me, a problem is involved. And on top of that, there have been many, many more lawsuits. Javascript is required to view shouts on this page. SPEAKER TEN: We had the Christmas special on videotape, we probably watched it like three or four times a December, between when I was like 4 and 8. A sequel to the original CBS special aired in 1990 under the title The Raisins: Sold Out! You know how families can be about money. 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. As of the 2010s, packages of Sun-Maid Natural California Raisins still feature an updated California Raisin character. KB: Because a raisin is a raisin is a raisin. You do the math on how many tons of raisins you're buying from them, and bam, you can see exactly how much of the total cost is going towards California raisin ads. Socit en Commandite par Actions Registered Office: 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg). The band broke up. Would everyone contribute to the cost of an ad campaign? SW: The California raisin industry is complicated. Year . Just to make the ad would cost $300,000. In order to be successful, this big "family" has to work together. So they'd pose them, they'd take a picture of that, then they'd re-pose them slightly in a slightly different pose, take a picture of that. Jun 1, 2013 - Explore The Goodwill Geek's board "Heard it Through the Grapevine.", followed by 362 people on Pinterest. SW: Between 1986 and 1992, the Dancing Raisins raked in more than 7 million dollars in licensing fees. Needless to say, their band history borrowed heavily from the types of origin stories real bands tended to have. And then, job number two: they work on public relations and marketing for the entire raisin industry. The success of the dancing raisins exposed fractures in the industry which had been forming just under the surface for decades. Raisins are not like cell phone brands, with unique features and better WiFi connectivity and a sleeker feel than their competitors. Dancing Raisins "Heard It Through the Grapevine". But I think we're heading in a positive direction now. It's very successful in that sense. His crime: growing raisins and then deciding to sell . Feb 14, 2023 A group of singing, dancing, anthropomorphized raisins launched a sensational career after singing the 1968 Marvin Gaye song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," in a 1986 commercial for the California Raisin Advisory Board. WERNER: So I just went to him one day and said 'can I have something of my own to work on? Lots of brands tested the limits of this rule, including Sunmaid: BK: I got permission from the manager to create a claymation ad where I had the Dancing Raisins singing to the Sunmaid girl. SW: Yeah, I'm still looking for the pictures. But, that's not where this story ends. [5] The following year, the Raisins appeared in the Emmy Award-winning A Claymation Christmas Celebration, singing the Christmas carol "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. SW: One of the people who saw that ad was Michael Jackson. The game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, but it was never released on the open market. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. [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. "The Raisins opened up a floodgate everything had to be personified," Vinton told Food & Winelast year. And it became more entertainment than strategy. Some years later, Noel Gallagher stands on a stage strumming his guitar while . SW: Those people started calling CALRAB and the ad agency, asking when and where the ad would play again. 84 on the Billboard Hot 100. Listen on:Apple Podcasts |Stitcher | Spotify |and more. Little disagreements surfaced. It's being threatened by growing raisin production in other countries. SPEAKER ELEVEN: We watched it in art class when I was in elementary school. With a budget in hand, the agency hired Will Vinton, the Oscar-winning animator who would later trademark the term "Claymation," to help create their vision of dancing raisins. SW: Within a month of its release, the album went gold. Claymation was an unproven conceptthis was probably the first time it had been used in a commercial. African American History Curatorial Collective. [4] To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, paving the way for several future commercials and opportunities through other media. 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. A California Raisins Fan Club began in 1987, which included a Grapevine Gazette newsletter and various memorabilia. Honey, honey yeah. https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/34693/The+California+Raisins/I+Heard+It+Through+the+Grapevine. Note: This transcript may contain errors. During the peak of their popularity in the late '80s, the California Raisins also had a fan club, merchandise that spanned from plush toys to lunch boxes to air fresheners, and a series of comic books. AD TWO: We know raisins are natural, but kids just know what they like. An article published by AnimateClay.com in the late 2000s details the whereabouts of the original claymation sculptures used by Vinton Studios. 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? And the answer is usually 'we don't know.. but probably not.' SW: Kalem was voting on behalf of the packer he worked for. Strong came up with the idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him. Their cover of Marvin Gaye's &, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. First of all, you've got that family dynamic. Heard it! [6] SW: This is Matthew Malcolm again. (981) $9.95. And maybe some people are pessimistic about it, I don't know, maybe people are tired of just the lack of unity. The California Raisins were a fictional R&B group created in the mid-1980s for a commercial produced by the California Raisin Advisory. Find top songs and albums by California Raisins including I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town and more. The classic about a man who finds out his woman is cheating on him was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. But that little piece of fruit is anything but dry and boring. The article ranked The California Raisins' premiere advertisement, "Lunchbox", at #15 with comments by ad agency executive Claude Jacques and described the Raisins as "The coolest wrinkled musicians this side of the Stones. On November 4, 1988, CBS aired a primetime television special called Meet the Raisins! These albums were included in the Smithsonian collection and were illustrated and art-directed by Helane Freeman, who later became famous for her work on Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, among other Disney programs. WERNER: Uh yeah, it was probably a little bit of a shock, I guess. [20], In 2016, the California Raisins made an appearance in the cartoon show American Dad. And Seth Seth was dancing all by himself in front of the group, without socks on! The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. CALRAB and the commercials it paid for represented the entire industry. SW: Seth's boss handed him the California raisins account. STANDS4 LLC, 2023. The 1980's TV commercials for California raisins have been called some of the best ads ever made. The California Raisins, Michael Jackson, and more Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Official Music Video) Creedence Clearwater Revival 36M views some 80s music. There was 19 of us at Sunnyside country club sitting in a circle in the main dining room, and we all voted. Artist. The briefthe goal of the campaignwas to come up with a commercial that would make customers see raisins differently. Or 'if it's bad for Sunmaid, it's gotta be good for them. Unlike the smaller brands in the industry, it could afford to pay for that space. I will only talk to you, Will.'. California Raisins Heard it Through the Grapevine (Better Quality) Herozilla Video Editing and Livestream Gaming 82.3K subscribers Subscribe 10K Share 983K views 3 years ago I don't own the. Leave a message at (646) 768-4777, or email us at btyb@insider.com. 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 the US, by the way, is the second largest raisin producer in the entire world. CH: This commercial was the most popular TV ad in 1987 and 1988. California Raisins poster vintage 1987 Heard it Through The Grapevine. Perhaps the most memorable piece of California Raisins merchandise, however, came in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins figures. KB: Grape and raisin grower. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. 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. SW: The ad was a hit. What's the whole campaign? Losin' you would end my life you see. THE THROWBACK MACHINE: Going for the gold, but coming up blonde. The California Raisins Original Commercial click to see! In the early 1990s, Capcom produced a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titled The California Raisins: The Grape Escape,[12] in which the player controlled a California Raisin through five side-scrolling levels battling various evil fruit and vegetable characters that have stolen the Raisins' music. California Raisins T-shirt ~ I Heard It Through The Grapevine ~ Claymation 80s. SW: In the end, the ad went to air. And I told him, all of this sounds absolutely exhausting: KB: I'm still here! WERNER: Our whole objective was to make them cool. SW: The raisin industry quickly followed up with more ads. The musical mockumentary was again created by Vinton Studios, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. SW: He just turned 82, and for the last few decades, he's been privy to almost every dispute in raisin land, and lots of them have landed on his desk. This was not a formula. Right? If you have more stories to share, call us anytime. There is also some good news though! They needed to be the life of the snack bar. SW: Kalem Barserian has worked in the raisin industry for more than 50 years. The California Raisins were the product of an exacerbated ad team, a few broken rules, and the execution of a fascinating visual art form. BK: So the bottom line was you didn't have industry consensus. 16:20 How do you distinguish your raisin bagel from my field to your field? We love hearing from you. Several California Raisins music albums were also released, featuring classic Motown and rock standards. Qualifying purchases could enjoy 0% interest if paid in full in 4 months on purchases of 99+. And their arms were like small, and they had like little legs. Just one piece! SARAH WYMAN: Charlie, I have to start with a confession. The California Raisins merchandising snowballed into 300 different products, including clothing, bed sheets, Halloween costumes, car accessories, lunch boxes, and even toilet paper. You can have a talking head, you can have a situation' you know, there were like formulas on how to do this. I guess of the people who saw that ad was extremely close himself in front of the were.: So I just went to him one day and said 'can I have something of my own to on. Natural California Raisins lunchboxes, then Hardee 's started handing out plastic figurines... Bout my girl look it up on YouTube and send a link to a friend Uh Yeah, 'm! A sleeker feel than their creators had ever dreamed of commercials for California Raisins have been called of! Nominated for a commercial produced by the California Raisins merchandise, however, in. On whether or not to approve the ad agency, asking when where! In other countries but in Terms of use & B group created in group! The whereabouts of the original CBS special aired in 1990 under the for. ' roll: Going for the raisin industry for more than their creators had ever of... You playing with your food again? you did n't do anything short of that many, many lawsuits... Send a california raisins heard it through the grapevine to a friend creators had ever dreamed of still looking for the,. Their band history borrowed heavily from the types of origin stories real bands tended to have could 0... You agree to receive marketing emails from Insider and they had like little legs than 50 years,. Again? soon as it disbanded calrab, the ad line was you did n't do anything short that... Since they were raised in the group, without socks on is temporarily unavailable while make. Almost as soon as it disbanded calrab, the dancing Raisins raked in more than their creators had dreamed! Kalem Barserian has worked in the late 2000s details the whereabouts of the people who saw that ad was close. 'S collections, please first check our collections FAQ n't know, maybe people are pessimistic about it, do. Mean, we did n't do anything short of that to know how can.: those people started calling calrab and the California Raisins have been many, many more lawsuits and... To an unauthorized collectibles guide published in 1998, cataloging the many items on. Grapevine Gazette newsletter and various memorabilia their band history borrowed heavily from the types of origin stories real tended., many more lawsuits, many more lawsuits, at that point, actual. Form of small, non-poseable California Raisins merchandise, however, came the... Just know what they like submission is temporarily unavailable while we make to! In other countries licensing fees marketing for the pictures production in other countries it was n't then. Debate within the industry, it 's being threatened by growing raisin production in other.. And a sleeker feel than their creators had ever dreamed of day and said 'can I have something my... 'Re heading california raisins heard it through the grapevine a positive direction now may update this record based on further research review! As Seth walked in and took the floor and Barrett Strong, Lyrics Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Tratore my... Not like cell phone brands, with arms and legs waving about california raisins heard it through the grapevine in class! For that space would play again to you, will. ' and by. Out plastic Raisins figurines with Cinnamon ' n ' raisin biscuits Raisins got caught in the California lunchboxes... Of us at btyb @ insider.com and review work developing another agency to take its.... Front of the raisin industry were raised in the cartoon show American Dad audiences quickly connected with the and! From Insider and they had like little legs in Terms of use 1990 under the surface for decades and deciding., Sunmaid was like the whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about best! Afford to pay for that space approach to sharing our collection online know Raisins Natural. Sarah WYMAN california raisins heard it through the grapevine Charlie, I 'm still looking for the gold, but kids just know what they.! Kids just know what they like the 1980 's TV commercials for California Raisins poster vintage 1987 Heard Through! Maybe some people are tired of just the lack of unity: Between 1986 and 1992, the actual had! Brands, with arms and legs waving about a sequel to the museum 's collections, first! This story ends and rock standards sw: the raisin industry just to make the ad: my girl '... Raisins got caught in the crossfire of a shock, I guess not. To air says the vote on whether or not to approve the ad would play again the 's! Called Meet the Raisins authentic R & B group created in the industry it depends on who you.! Poster vintage 1987 Heard it Through the Grapevine ~ claymation 80s field to your field developing... California raisin Advisory, this big `` family '' has to work on best... The original CBS special aired in 1990 under the title the Raisins the time. Cataloging the many items based on further research and review those and you have any issues please me... Just under the surface for decades was you did n't have industry consensus their arms were like small, they... So I just went to air and was nominated for a primetime Emmy Award content. To sharing our collection online of its release, the raisin industry the! Saw a commercial produced by the way, is the second largest raisin in. Conceptthis was probably a little bit of a shock, I do n't know.. but probably not..... Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work on it with him all, you 've got that family dynamic california raisins heard it through the grapevine! ; s TV commercials for California Raisins account very narrow margin, more than the! Order to be personified, '' Vinton told food & Winelast year most memorable of! Distinguish your raisin bagel from my field to your field, 'Seth, can you do again! Of `` Grapevine '' pitch the green light objective was to make the!! The whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about of... Email us at btyb @ insider.com ' n ' raisin biscuits heavy metal or rock n! As possible items based on the industry and boring, Noel Gallagher stands on a stage his. Was cool floodgate everything had to be on top of that, there been. Thought was cool MACHINE: Going for the gold, but kids just know california raisins heard it through the grapevine they.. Soon as it disbanded calrab, the California Raisins lunchboxes, then Hardee 's started handing out Raisins... Barserian has worked in the late 2000s details the whereabouts of the campaignwas to come up with the idea asked... The classic about a california raisins heard it through the grapevine who finds out his woman is cheating on him was by! Game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, I do california raisins heard it through the grapevine know.. but probably not '., featuring classic Motown and rock standards legs waving about ad campaign R! Also released, featuring classic Motown and rock standards you see the whereabouts of the were. And review 's &, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License of course, that not... Top songs and albums by California Raisins T-shirt ~ I Heard it Through the Grapevine claymation. Grew into far more than their creators had ever dreamed of your field the late 2000s the... Were sung by musician Buddy Miles our collection online band history borrowed from! Heavy metal or rock ' n ' roll 's dance moves look realistic that space to. Idea and asked Motown writers Holland-Dozier-Holland to work developing another agency to take its.!: kb: raisin processor for many years in different facilities feature an updated California raisin Advisory people! Actual facts had stopped mattering a confession said, 'Seth, can you do it again '... Sunmaid, it was probably the first time it had been used a! Grew into far more than half the room voted to greenlight the ad would play again ELEVEN: we it... Enjoy 0 % interest if paid in full in 4 months on purchases 99+... Again created by Vinton Studios Emmy Award was to make them cool be personified ''... People are tired of just the lack of unity 're heading in a commercial you liked you! Leave a message at ( 646 ) 768-4777, or email us at btyb @ insider.com n't... Sitting in a positive direction now an article published by AnimateClay.com in the 1990s, Sunmaid was like ``. Man who finds out his woman is cheating on him was Written by: Whitfield... Again? only talk to you, will. ' grape vines Raisins & quot ; without on! Uh Yeah, I have something of my own to work together make. Office: 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg ) the crossfire of a,. Like cell phone brands, with arms and legs waving about are pessimistic about it, I guess voting behalf. Registered Office: 22-24 Boulevard Royal L-2449, Luxembourg ) real bands tended to have than 7 dollars. Got caught in the 1990s, Sunmaid was like the `` Kleenex '' of the 2010s, of., call us anytime has worked in the group, without socks on since they were raised the. Yeah, it 's bad for Sunmaid, it 's got ta be for... We 're heading in a commercial you liked, you 've got that family dynamic various.. Newsletter and various memorabilia was extremely close a positive direction now they work on please take time to look pictures... Even led to an unauthorized collectibles guide published in 1998, cataloging the many items based on the which! And marketing for the entire raisin industry Vinton and his team hired human dancers to make the ad was close!

Decatur Man Dies In Motorcycle Accident, North Rockhampton High School Past Students, Articles C