The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / A Unique Throwback To 60s TV Aired On ABC Wednesday Night

**Posted by RadioActive** April 3, 2025 3:02 am

I saw something on ABC Wednesday night that I haven’t seen on network TV since the 60s. It happened on Abbott Elementary, when the characters openly interacted with a container of Lysol wipes, whose label was clearly visible front and centre on camera. It was a moment that was obviously product placement and there’s nothing new – er, old – about that.

But just seconds after that cleaner was shown on camera, the show went to its first commercial. It featured William Stanford Davis, in character as the janitor Mr. Johnson, doing an actual spot for the product we just saw and holding those wipes.

It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen an actor in character on a TV show actually do a spot for a product on that same show. It was one of the hallmarks of 50s television, when George Burns & Gracie Allen used to work Carnation Instant Milk into the scripts and make jokes about the product.

Then there was the Beverly Hillbillies shilling for Winston and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes – in the case of the latter, complete with laugh track.

Perry White once had a temper tantrum over not having that same cereal in the original “Superman.”

It was a common device back then. But I haven’t seen it done for a long time. That’s why having it on Abbott was such a surprise. I suppose it’s a sign that when it comes to selling and getting advertising dollars, everything old is new again.

**Posted by mace** April 3, 2025 4:54 am

I think Burns & Allen run on Antenna TV. I am sure they are severly edited and replaced with current ads.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 3, 2025 7:30 am

Yes, they always did it so the spots could be removed. I've seen some of the originals and they're terrific. It could never really happen much again today, but making the ads entertaining with pro actors in character as part of the show you're watching would stop some of the DVR commercial skipping. I know I watched all of the Lysol spot, when otherwise I would have hit "next."

A small part of me wonders if this will ever come back just for that reason.

**Posted by Tq345** April 3, 2025 10:51 am

The old Andy Griffith Show used to do spots for General Foods featuring Andy and the cast. They were usually set in the Taylor's kitchen with Andy and Opie enjoying Post cereal or Andy and Barney discussing Sanka decaf coffee.

One memorable one featured the normally silent Leon, played by Ron Howard's little brother Clint, who finally uttered his first word when Andy asked him to describe Jello pudding (or puddin' as Andy called it.)

Leon said it was goooood!

I'm too young to remember them at the time, but they were released as part of the show's DVD box set. They're also available on YouTube.

**Posted by mace** April 3, 2025 11:03 am

Those would have been 30 second spots and not part of the actual scripted show. The Clampetts did similar ads for Winston and Kellogg's. Rob and Laura Petry did the same thing for Kent cigarettes.

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 3, 2025 11:13 am

I always thought talk radio should take this approach and weave sponsor/client mentions into the show instead of running 3-4 minutes' worth of spots every ten minutes.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 3, 2025 11:18 am

There was a reason this worked - it almost seemed like part of the show and you liked the characters making the pitch. Made those other insipid commercials look bad in comparison. But this was in an era where a show was "brought to you by," something that wouldn't happen today.

**Posted by mace** April 3, 2025 11:26 am

In the case of the Beverly Hillbillies, it was clever of Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs to write an extra verse of the opening theme song to mention Kelloggs's and later Winston. Another feature on the closing credits was a small photo of the sponsor's product in the lower portion of the screen. In the case of Kellogg's the cereal would change every time the credits did.

**Posted by RadioActive** April 3, 2025 11:34 am

Here's another example of a show that was "brought to you by." Yep, there's nothing like advertising cigarettes on a cartoon for kids. What were they thinking?

**Posted by Binson Echorec** April 3, 2025 11:41 am

RadioActive wrote:
Yep, there's nothing like advertising cigarettes on a cartoon for kids. What were they thinking?

I'm an outlier. I never thought The Flintstones was aimed at kids, originally. Sure, kids could watch it and they might laugh at it here and there but I always felt like the plotlines were a bit more adult. 830pm was my bedtime growing up, so I wouldn't have been allowed to stay up to watch, had I been around during the show's initial run.
By the time I came around, the show was on at noon weekdays and I'd watch it when I went home from school for lunch.

RadioActive wrote:
There was a reason this worked - it almost seemed like part of the show and you liked the characters making the pitch. Made those other insipid commercials look bad in comparison. But this was in an era where a show was "brought to you by," something that wouldn't happen today.

Some radio shows are still "brought to you by" but the mentions have been relegated to ten second stingers going into or out of a segment, plus a couple of spots an hour during the show; which doesn't quite make them "part of the show" per se, they're not integrated in the way we're referencing.

Overall though I agree that it worked and was effective but we also trusted people (read: personalities) more then versus today - we're less naive as an audience.

Last edited by Binson Echorec (April 3, 2025 11:51 am)

**Posted by RadioActive** April 3, 2025 11:54 am

The Flintstones, of course, was based on The Honeymooners, Jackie Gleason's classic one season sitcom.

Top Cat, which followed later, was based on The Phil Silvers Show (aka Sgt. Bilko.)

**Posted by newsguy1** April 3, 2025 12:13 pm

One person who would not do commercial endorsements was Walter Cronkite.
Even after retirement he maintained his credibility as a journalist.
Can you imagine him doing ads for reverse mortgages or car insurance.
Now there's a U.S. president who does ads for collectable trading cards and autographed bibles, and much more -- while in office.

**Posted by mace** April 4, 2025 9:43 am

RadioActive wrote:
Here's another example of a show that was "brought to you by." Yep, there's nothing like advertising cigarettes on a cartoon for kids. What were they thinking?

After Pebbles was born, ABC ended its Flintstones sponsorship contract with Winston's. Welch's Grape Juice/Jelly became the new sponsor.