Benton & Bowles: Stalking the Wild Cranberry, 1970s

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	(wind blows)	0:02
Director	Scene 101, sound 1, take 1.	0:03
-	These are highbush cranberries. (laughs)	0:07
	Sorry.	0:10
Director	Sound number 5!	0:11
-	These are highbush cranberries.	0:14
	No good...	0:19
Director	Sound 15!	0:20
-	These are wild cran...	0:23
	Oh, for God's sake!	0:25
Director	Scene 3, sound 22.	0:27
	(wind blows)	0:30
	[Narrator] A good share of the commercials	0:34
	you see on television begin life here	0:35
	on the island of Manhattan.	0:38
	The creative product of thousands of people	0:40
	at the more than 200 advertising agencies headquartered	0:42
	in New York City.	0:45
	One of these agencies with offices	0:47
	on the top eight floors of 909, 3rd Avenue	0:49
	is Benton and Bowles, who's copywriters, art directors	0:51
	and producers one day recently were busy doing	0:55
	what they do every day, making television commercials.	0:57
Art Director	Self-explanatory.	1:03
	I think that's a pretty strong...	1:04
-	Morning George.	1:06
-	Hi Kenny.	1:07
-	While I have you all together.	1:08
	I have a new creative work with condition (mumbles)	1:10
	Grape Nuts.	1:12
-	What kind of a due date do we have on this Kenny?	1:14
-	We have 10 working days.	1:17
-	I think that's fair amount of time.	1:18
Milford	I think so.	1:20
-	Yeah.	1:21
-	The strategy attached here.
Kenny	That's yours.	1:23
-	Right.
Kenny	I'll keep in touch.	1:24
-	Bye Kenny.	1:25
	Oh, this is a strategy that the account team	1:25
	briefed us on just recently.	1:27
	It's a new one and I think it	1:30
	gives us a chance to do something	1:31
	that's really fresh and original in a cereal category.	1:32
-	Really George, we've been thinking about this ever	1:35
	since our visit to the factory at Battle Creek.	1:38
-	I was going to say one of the things that was	1:40
	pretty interesting about our trip was	1:42
	that we found out that Grape Nuts is actually baked	1:43
	like bread and it's made from natural ingredients.	1:45
	And based on that, I think we can come	1:48
	up with some pretty interesting executions	1:49
	we have, as Milford said some pretty solid ideas already.	1:51
-	Well, it sounds like you're off to a good start.	1:54
-	Yep.	1:56
Milford	Okay. We're ready.
-	So let's get to it.	1:57
Milford	Yep.	1:58
Narrator	First big job of the	1:59
	copywriter/art-director team, to come up with an idea,	2:00
	a way of talking to people about Grape Nuts	2:04
	that's informative, interesting and different.	2:06
-	I just had a thought, you mentioned "bake like bread".	2:08
	One thing we could do is a baker,	2:12
	you know like natural food expert	2:14
	talking about Grape Nuts.	2:16
-	Terrific, even if you took the thing back	2:17
	a couple of steps and use the wheat farmer,	2:19
	who is certainly an expert on natural foods,	2:21
	he would be a terrific spokesman.	2:23
-	Yeah that'd be good.	2:25
Art director	Isn't there a man in this book that	2:26
	we were looking at the other day?	2:28
-	Yeah, his name's Euell Gibbons.	2:29
	He's studied natural foods all his life.	2:32
	And he's written several books on the subject.	2:35
	I think he'd be very good.	2:36
-	I think he mentioned in this article	2:37
	cranberries didn't he?	2:39
-	Yeah	2:40
-	Perhaps we could base our commercial	2:41
	on something like that, wild cranberries?	2:42
-	It should be.	2:44
-	What if we had say, a scene in the snow,	2:45
	and he says something like,	2:49
	"Well, I'm gathering part of my breakfast..."	2:50
	and you don't see anything but snow	2:52
	until you get to a closeup of the cranberry.	2:54
	And then we could go to an inside scene	2:56
	where he's putting the cranberries on the Grape Nuts.	2:59
	We're gonna have him starting out in the snow	3:01
	picking wild cranberries, if you can believe that.	3:04
-	Wow, that's weird.	3:07
-	Weird scene? Yeah.
-	Yeah.	3:08
Narrator	Once they have the idea, the art-director	3:09
	and assistant lay out a storyboard.	3:11
-	How do you see it?	3:13
Arnie	How about if we have up in the mountains?	3:15
Art Director	Yeah, sort of a western type of setting.	3:17
Arnie	A few trees down here in the foreground.	3:19
-	When do you think you'd be able	3:22
	to have all of us together?	3:23
-	How about tomorrow, say... 4?	3:25
-	Well, can we get a little quicker than that?	3:29
	We're kind of in a hurry.	3:31
-	3:30?	3:33
	(both laugh)	3:34
-	Okay. Okay.	3:35
Narrator	The storyboard is a blueprint	3:36
	of the commercial, showing key scenes	3:38
	in a series of still pictures.	3:39
-	I call Grape Nuts my "back to nature cereal".	3:42
	and of course ...	3:45
Narrator	Next hurdle selling the idea to	3:46
	B&B's top creative man.	3:48
-	Do you think that a lot of people know who	3:50
	Euell Gibbons is?	3:52
-	We think that a lot of people will.	3:53
	He's written several books, sold over half a million copies.	3:56
	This is one of them "Stalking the Good Life".	4:00
	And he's appeared on talk shows	4:03
	and written articles for national publications.	4:04
-	I think that using him for Grape Nuts is a	4:09
	very good thing because he's,	4:12
	I think he's a natural spokesman for the brand.	4:14
	It's a good relationship between product and the man.	4:17
	So I think this is good.	4:20
	I would consider using the books	4:22
	as premiums too for the product, eventually,	4:23
	because I think there does exist this natural affinity.	4:26
	So I'd say this is a very good idea.	4:31
	I think the client will like it very much.	4:32
Milford	Everything is completely covered with snow...	4:35
Narrator	After the creative okay, the account group	4:37
	is taken through the storyboard, frame by frame,	4:39
	and they put their stamp of approval on it.	4:42
	Next, the client presentation.	4:45
	Account and creatives show the commercial for the first time	4:47
	to the Post Grape Nuts brand manager.	4:50
-	I liked the idea.	4:52
-	Do we or have we talked to Gibbons yet?	4:54
	Do we know if he can be available?	4:57
-	Yes, casting has looked into that	4:58
	and I think we're in pretty good shape.	5:01
	Ruthie, what did you find out?	5:02
-	Yes. We have talked to him and he is available.	5:04
	He told me a little story during one of our conversations	5:07
	that when he was growing up.	5:10
	His mother had two cereals in the house	5:11
	and she always used to serve the corn flakes	5:14
	in the big bowl and the great nuts and a small bowl.	5:16
	And he was always trying to figure out how	5:19
	he could get her to put the Grape Nuts in the big bowl.	5:21
	(group laughs)	5:24
-	Seems like a good idea.	5:26
	Let's go produce it.	5:28
Milford	Okay.	5:29
Narrator	With a commercial approved for production	5:30
	a lot of things begin to happen.	5:32
-	Yeah, this is fine.	5:33
Narrator	The commercial gets an eagle eye	5:34
	from the agencies lawyer.	5:36
-	Paul, you probably have, should have anyway,	5:38
	an affidavit, testimonial affidavit.	5:41
Paul	Yes.	5:43
-	Production technique clearance form	5:44
	and your network clearance forms.	5:46
-	I have all three Phil.	5:48
	And this affidavit, as you can tell also,	5:49
	states by Gibbons that the statements made,	5:52
	by him, in the commercial are truthful and it's notarized.	5:54
-	Good. You're all set.	5:58
	Have a good shoot.	5:59
-	I just hope we can find some snow at this time of year.	6:00
-	I'm sure you're will.	6:03
	(clacks loudly)	6:04
Narrator	The manager of production	6:05
	and the producer prepare the budget.	6:07
-	Okay Paul, we figured it two ways.	6:08
	One for Michigan and one for Colorado.	6:10
-	Right?	6:12
-	But we don't have the snow in Michigan.	6:13
	It'll cost you a few bucks more in Colorado.	6:14
	Alright?	6:16
-	Okay.	6:17
-	Now, who would you like to do?	6:18
-	Well, Gary, Milford and I have	6:19
	narrowed it down to three houses.	6:21
	Audio Productions	6:23
-	Audio	6:25
-	M P O	6:25
-	M P O	6:26
-	and George Gage Productions.	6:27
-	George Gage.	6:29
-	Okay?	6:30
-	Okay.
-	That's one of the exciting things, I think,	6:32
	about this production.	6:33
Narrator	George Gage Productions is low bidder	6:35
	and gets the job.	6:37
	And in the pre-production meeting	6:38
	Director George Gage	6:40
	tells how he sees the commercial.	6:42
-	...white snow out, barren trees	6:43
	and everything else you'll know	6:45
	that he's right out there in the environment.	6:46
Narrator	Everybody who has anything to do	6:49
	with the commercial is there.	6:50
	Every last detail is ironed out.	6:52
-	...more of the environment and then	6:54
	the entire scene is a slow move into the cranberries	6:56
	where he finally ends up with the cranberries	6:58
	close to his hand.	7:01
-	It's obvious that that'll do it.	7:03
	I mean, that will help set up the whole business	7:05
	about being barren and so forth.	7:06
-	What about General Foods attorneys Rupert?	7:08
-	They've seen the commercial	7:11
Gary	Commercial has been...	7:12
-	It has gone the Consumer Complaints Review Board	7:13
	so we're ready to go.	7:15
-	We're intending to have, right, an early crew call.	7:16
-	Mm hmm	7:18
-	It's going to be like at sunrise.	7:19
-	Right .	7:20
-	It could be just a beautiful gorgeous sunrise	7:21
	against that white snow.	7:23
	Still, Gary, being stark looking	7:24
	all I'm saying is we're going to go	7:26
	with the weather, except for rain.	7:28
-	Would you pass me that cranberry sprig please?	7:30
Man	Of course. Milford?	7:32
-	You could...	7:34
Narrator	Next step in stocking the wild cranberry.	7:35
	2100 miles west of New York	7:39
	in the high snow country of Colorado,	7:41
	where the 15 man film crew has moved in	7:43
	for a two day shoot.	7:46
	(distant chatter)	7:47
-	We're not far.	7:51
	(coughs)	7:53
	(crew chats)	7:54
	(strong wind blows)	7:56
-	I'm Euell Gibbons.	8:01
Narrator	The opening scene, with Euell Gibbons,	8:03
	runs six seconds in the commercial.	8:04
-	These are wild... carberries.	8:07
	Cut!	8:10
Director	Sound 7!	8:11
Narrator	The director finally thinks he's got it	8:13
	after 4 hours and 22 different takes.	8:15
-	I'm Euell Gibbons.	8:20
	I'm gathering part of my breakfast.	8:21
	These are highbush cranberries.	8:26
	[Director] Beautiful take! Beautiful.	8:29
Narrator	About noon, the action	8:34
	and our star, move to the next setup.	8:36
	A small log cabin, almost buried in eight feet of snow.	8:39
	(engine revs)	8:42
-	I want agreement from you guys before I do it	8:47
	because once we do it...	8:49
-	Euell, you wanna sit down comfortable please?	8:51
-	(inaudible) ...today.	8:53
-	No, I'm gonna put the variable in the bowl	9:01
	before I reach for the milk.	9:03
-	Yes.	9:05
-	It has to go in after the cereal is put...	9:06
-	Right, we've discussed that.	9:07
	It's gotta be the Grape Nuts first,	9:07
	then the berries, then the milk.	9:09
	(chatter)	9:11
	Shit guys you can't talk guys, don't please.	9:12
	Lets look at it once and then...	9:14
	It's a naturally sweet taste	9:16
	so you'll be actually tasting it.	9:17
	So if I could get one bite in maybe,	9:19
	it's naturally sweet taste, bite,	9:21
	reminds me of wild hickory.	9:23
-	It's naturally sweet taste reminds me	9:26
	of wild hickory nuts.	9:28
	I call Post Grape Nuts my	9:30
	"back to nature cereal".	9:32
-	Sounds to me logically,	9:34
	that's the way it works.	9:35
	And here he is in the cabin.	9:37
	He's got the box in his hand, he's got the cranberries.	9:38
Narrator	Making a commercial is hard, exacting work,	9:41
	but at the end of the day there's usually time	9:46
	for a little relaxation.	9:48
Pianist	Let's have some fun. Let me do a song	9:51
	I just composed in your honor,	9:52
	it's called "The Cranberry Rag".	9:54
	(fast ragtime music)	9:57
	♪ Take it home, Cranberries ♪	10:04
	How was that huh?	10:14
	(cheering and applause)	10:16
-	Where were you born?	10:18
-	I was born in Texas, the state where	10:19
	George Washington was born.	10:21
-	I don't believe it.	10:23
-	Yeah, George Washington was born in Texas	10:24
	and when he was eight years old	10:26
	his father gave him a Machete for his birthday present.	10:27
	And he went out and cut down his father's Mesquite tree.	10:29
	His father came roaring into the house and said,	10:31
	"Who cut down my Mesquite tree?"	10:33
	and George said "It was I father, I cannot tell a lie."	10:34
	He said "Well if can't tell a lie,	10:37
	well then you have no future in Texas"	10:39
	so they moved to Virginia.	10:41
	(laughter)	10:42
Director	I think that was exaggerated a little bit.	10:44
-	Let me show you this interior sequence we put together.	10:46
Euell	As an author of five books...	10:49
Narrator	Back in New York	10:50
	with 3000 feet of exposed film,	10:51
	the creative team and the film editor	10:54
	go to work over the Moviola.	10:56
-	It's that scene, Paul, that we've been talking about.	10:57
	There's a shot here, am I correct Gary?	10:59
	Where you can see more of the Grape Nuts	11:01
	and more of the berries?	11:02
-	Yeah, I think we do have an alternate take.	11:04
Narrator	This is really where a commercial happens.	11:06
	Selecting and splicing together	11:09
	exactly the right scenes.	11:10
	Boiling 30 minutes of film down to 30 seconds.	11:13
	(fast clicks)	11:15
-	Much better, much better.	11:16
Paul	Gary, I think that's the one	11:17
	we're talking about isn't it?	11:18
Gary	Very good, very good. Yeah.	11:19
Paul	I think that's it, will that fit in time?	11:21
Gary	Ah, yeah. Let me cut it in.	11:22
-	Right, now that's the lot? Ready to roll.	11:24
Narrator	After a week of editing	11:27
Video editor	Roll it Arnie.	11:28
Narrator	The moment everybody's been waiting for...	11:29
	the rough interlock.	11:32
Euell	I'm Euell Gibbons...	11:34
Narrator	The creative group gathers	11:36
	in the darkened screening room	11:37
	for a first look at the commercial	11:39
	in it's proper sequence.	11:40
	This is the moment of truth in the making	11:43
	of a commercial.	11:45
Euell	I call Grape Nuts my "back to nature cereal".	11:46
-	You know, I think that really works out fine.	11:49
	You know, he comes off very nicely.	11:51
-	There's one thing.	11:53
	Do you have another take? A closer shot	11:55
	on the opening of the bush itself, the cranberry bush?	11:57
	Because I'm so intrigued by the thing	12:01
	that I want to see more of it,	12:02
	you know it's very interesting to me.	12:03
-	Paul. I think we do don't we?	12:05
-	We had about 20 takes	12:06
	and I think there's a zoom version that	12:08
	comes in closer and stays on it	12:09
	for a longer period of time and perhaps,	12:12
	what do you think fellows?	12:14
-	Yeah.	12:15
-	I think it might be more...	12:16
-	I think you got to try it.	12:17
	I think it would improve it,	12:18
	but generally I think it's a fine spot,	12:19
	really, came out very nice.	12:21
-	Thanks Phil.	12:23
-	Thank you.
Narrator	After a little re-editing	12:25
	the commercial is approved by the client and goes	12:26
	to the optical lab for an answer print.	12:28
Euell	This Cranberry cereal...	12:30
	(fast ragtime music)	12:31
Narrator	Finally, an idea that began life	12:32
	in an art director's office more than two months before	12:34
	is transformed by a small army of specialists	12:38
	and a long chain of events	12:41
	into a television commercial	12:43
	♪ It's called Cranberries! ♪	12:47
-	Rats, cut.	12:57
Narrator	Here is the completed commercial.	12:59
-	I'm Euell Gibbons.	13:04
	I'm gathering part of my breakfast.	13:05
	These are highbush cranberries,	13:08
	delicious with Grape Nuts and hot milk.	13:10
	As an author of five books on natural food	13:14
	I can recommend Post Grape Nuts.	13:16
	This crunchy cereal is made from natural ingredients,	13:18
	wholesome wheat and barley	13:22
	and it's fortified with vitamins.	13:23
	It's naturally sweet taste reminds me of wild Hickory nuts.	13:25
	I call Grape Nuts my	13:29
	"back to nature cereal".	13:30
	The highbush cranberries red above the snow,	13:35
	the sharpest brightest flavor that I know,	13:38
	a hint of bitter harmonized with sour.	13:42
	And for this treat, I ask you spare the flower	13:45
	that decorates the woods in early spring.	13:48
	If you can learn to give each living thing	13:51
	your loving reverence, you will be able to dine	13:54
	with me at Mother Nature's table.	13:57
	We'll laugh at all the winter winds that blow	14:00
	when highbush cranberries hang above the snow.	14:03

Item Info

Title:

Benton & Bowles: Stalking the Wild Cranberry, 1970s

Date:

1970s

Description:

The making of a TV commercial; Euell Gibbons for Grape-Nuts. Behind the scenes at Benton & Bowles ad agency. Produced for American Association of Advertising Agencies by George Gage Productions.

Company:

Product:

Stalking the Wild Cranberry

Format:

Extent:

0:14:14

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In Copyright

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Reel number: 208
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Benton & Bowles: Stalking the Wild Cranberry, 1970s

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John W. Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising & Marketing History