How the Grinch Stole Christmas (found Foundation For Full-Service Banks sponsorship ads for Christmas special; 1966)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a 1966 television special directed by Chuck Jones based on the book of the same name. While the rest of the special can be easily found, promotions from the sponsor were cut from subsequent airings.
Promotion in Question
During the production, Chuck was finding an advertising agency to back the film. Most backed down, but Chuck found an "unlikely source," the Foundation of Commercial Banks, which is ironic since the message is Christmas doesn't come from a store, and even Chuck thought it was ironic, and in his own words:
"You got to be kidding! The bankers bought a story in which the Grinch says Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store??!!, Well, bless those bankers hearts. And I didn't even often collateral."
The company would sponsor broadcasts of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas” until 1970 when they were subsequently edited out of the special following the sponsorship ending and the FCC’s rule regarding advertising within children’s programming.
Due to this, the promotional tags were lost for almost 50 years, although remnants of the original sponsorship announcement remained intact into the early 1980s with the announcer’s voice stating the title of the special. The logo for the company also changed at some point during the 1960s, with new animation being added in place.[1][2]
Aftermath
Due to the success of the animated special, the bankers were impressed. Dr. Seuss even had an interview for TV Guide by Chuck's childhood friend and future wife, Marian.[3]
On January 6th, 2021 YouTuber "Will C Wilson" uploaded the sponsor tags from one of the special's later airings with the new sponsorship animation onto his account, which has since been taken down, although re-uploads have been made of it.
Gallery
Images
An image from the original print.
Original standee mentioning the sponsorship
Birmingham Trust National Bank advertisement
The First National Bank of Birmingham advertisement
Citizens Bank of Hattiesburg advertisement
First National Bank of Newark Ohio advertisement
American Bank and Trust Company advertisement
An ad for the special's premier from the December 18th, 1966 edition of The Post-Crescent.
The only known advertisement from the company that mentions them sponsoring the special, featured in the November 1967 issue of LIFE Magazine.
Videos
See Also
References
- ↑ Chuck Reducks: Drawing from the Fun Side of Life (1996) pg. 276 Retrieved 26 Sep '20
- ↑ Life (24 Nov 1967) pg. 100 Retrieved 27 Sep '20
- ↑ Chuck Reducks: Drawing from the Fun Side of Life (1996) pg. 281-283 Retrieved 26 Sep '20