SW: Between 1986 and 1992, the Dancing Raisins raked in more than 7 million dollars in licensing fees. KB: Raisin processor for many years in different facilities. The musical mockumentary was again created by Vinton Studios, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. CHARLIE HERMAN: On September 14, 1986, California's hottest new band made its debut. Like the whole body was just a head, with arms and legs waving about. America's favorite raisin. Deathly silence filled the Board room for what was probably only another thirty seconds, but seemed much longer. I said, 'the only thing I would do, because at that time, you know, you had things like the Chipmunks and all these different things for kids,'. But these tears I can't hold inside. Michael Jackson asked to be featured in a sequel. The game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, but it was never released on the open market. And it paid for all that buzz with an assessmentor a taxon the raisin industry. BARRY KRIEBEL: Well that's the problem with the advertising! Even if you weren't alive to see the advertisements, TV. SW: The ad was a hit. If you saw a commercial you liked, you couldn't look it up on YouTube and send a link to a friend. And, for better or worse, they're also in it together on that front. But there was enough leadership to sway the ones that weren't smart enough to realize what a good program it was. I believe it might have been a public service announcement', 'Dear Judy: Generally when you hear from me, a problem is involved. 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. Sunmaid. They recorded an album that went gold within weeks of its release. 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. And they should pretty much be still once they do their heard it! Some years later, Noel Gallagher stands on a stage strumming his guitar while . I don't care how small or whatever, but something that's not part of what you're doing.'. If there's anything we can do for you, please give me a call'. It's a pop song reimagined as a nervous breakdown. Today, the story of the California Dancing Raisins. Demand was down. [14][additional citation(s) needed], On March 28, 1997 Entertainment Weekly published "The 50 Best Commercials of All Time" as its cover story. Somewhere, some afternoon, Noel Gallagher sat down with a guitar and did a little strumming and made up a few words to go with it. You know? IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. SW: Let me explain. Your email address will not be published. I voted to kill it too. WERNER: We still thought it was cool. SW: Matthew Malcolm was one of the first raisin industry members to return my calls. The California Raisins are often accompanied by a soundtrack of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," originally popularized by singer Marvin Gaye. We apologize for the interruption. But, that's not where this story ends. Perhaps the most memorable piece of California Raisins merchandise, however, came in the form of small, non-poseable California Raisins figures. And that takes unity. SW: That's another thing that makes the raisin industry different. Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. KB: [counts] 350 versus 244. Barrett Strong was the singer. The California Raisins were a fictional R&B group created in the mid-1980s for a commercial produced by the California Raisin Advisory. MATTHEW MALCOLM: I mean you can't just leave any field barren here, because something's gonna grow. Vintage California Raisins Posable, Puppets, Bank, Wind up toy. We love hearing from you. See terms. SW: Did it feel at any point while you were working on this album like you were making an ad for raisins? The tape was rewound and the presentation repeated.". 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. AD SIX: Oh, I heard it through the grapevine! SW: In the end, the ad went to air. MM: Obviously raisin growers and packers, they compete with each other. Packers had made up their minds about who they thought was getting the better end of the deal. The California Dancing Raisins ad has been called one of the best of all time. So, there's an alphabet soup of different boards and agencies and committees to help make that happen. Browse 55 i heard it through the grapevine stock photos and images available, or search for california raisins to find more great stock photos and pictures. SW: Almost as soon as it disbanded CALRAB, the raisin industry got to work developing another agency to take its place. [19], In 2014, the California Raisins made a cameo appearance in the RadioShack Super Bowl XLVIII commercial "The '80s Called". 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. Earlier this year, the CRMBwhich did not respond to my request for commenthired a brand new Vice President of Marketing. onefunplace. A Saturday morning cartoon series, The California Raisin Show, debuted the following year, but lasted only 13 episodes. Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. What's the whole campaign? RV: I think within 4-5 months it was platinum! Washington, D.C. Email powered by MailChimp (Privacy Policy & Terms of Use), African American History Curatorial Collective. 1 Mar. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal (Europe) S. r.l. MM: At every industry meeting I go to, it seems like someone's asking, some raisin grower's asking 'are you ever going to bring the raisin, dancing raisins back?' WERNER: Our whole objective was to make them cool. And the California raisin industry is, after all, a big family. Nature's candy. Then in 1989, a 13-episode Saturday Morning Cartoon show calledThe California Raisin Show aired. SW: His boss had him working mostly on trade adsstuff for industry publications not the kind of campaigns you or I would ever see in a commercial or on a billboard. Paul McCartney requested his own copy on VHS. 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. Our editor is Micaela Blei. Can you just give me an assignment? If you require a personal response, please use ourContact page. I'm Charlie Herman. The California Raisins are often accompanied by a soundtrack of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine," originally popularized by singer Marvin Gaye. It's a tax. I know a man ain't supposed to cry. Those California Raisins weren't just in California anymore. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. Vinton and his team hired human dancers to make the Raisins's dance moves look realistic. Werner's big idea was going to be a risk, especially without the celebrity spokesperson the client had requested. Director. Our collection database is a work in progress. If you have any issues please contact me before leaving negative response I will always do my best make it right! This figure is also included on CalRaisins.org. SW: Within a month of its release, the album went gold. 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? We may update this record based on further research and review. Whod have ever thought that a beloved Motown classic would be brought back to life by a bunch of animated dried fruit? Not much longer would you be mine baby. Raisins, dressed up in white gloves and sunglasses, dancing to Marvin Gaye's "I heard it through the grapevine." The California Raisin Advisory Board. But Barry Kriebel says, at that point, the actual facts had stopped mattering. Yeah the good news is the industry is at a point where people are working together more than they have historically, at least in the past 20 years or so. Like the Archies before them, the imaginary band was a hit. in 1988. Oh I heard it through the grapevine. And, I didn't know this, but nearly 100 percent of the raisins the U.S. produces come from within a 60 mile radius of the city. CH: We're back. In order to be successful, this big "family" has to work together. You know how families can be about money. And the band wasn't playing heavy metal or rock 'n' roll. And ultimately, when everyone failed to agree, the raisins took the fall. SPEAKER FOUR: My mother thought they were great, and she collected the figurines. CH: The dancing raisins were so popular, they took on a life of their own outside of the ad. Werner and his copywriting partner, Dexter Fedor, knew that they needed to make the dried fruit less of an afterthoughtthe raisins needed personality. In 1987, Vinton featured the Raisins singing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in A Claymation Christmas Celebration, a Christmas TV special he produced that won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. 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". SW: The California raisin industry is complicated. Several California Raisins music albums were also released, featuring classic Motown and rock standards. But Michael Jackson, well he was not about that. The California Raisins released four studio albums on Priority Records, BMG, and ZTT Records between 1987 to 1994, and their signature song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 84 or 85. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online. SW: Those people started calling CALRAB and the ad agency, asking when and where the ad would play again. Besides appearing in short commercials, The California Raisins shared their musical chops in television specials. Oh! Everyone is hungering for unity again, they just have to find something to unify around. BK: There's always been a 'If it's good for Sunmaid, it's gotta be bad for them.' SW: I was not even alive when most of those ads aired, and I had the same experience. Condition: Used. Jackson, who agreed to do his commercial for free (and on the condition that he only work with Vinton, who he knew from their Captain EO project with Disney), helped create his own Claymation raisin with his signature single white glove, fedora, and pelvic-thrusting dance moves. Fresno is a dusty, medium-sized city in the middle of California's central valley. While todays commercials may depict M&Ms and cookies with unique personas, the California Raisins hold a special place as '80s pop culture icons. [6] If you would like to know how we handle complaints, please click, . 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