Cartoons - influencing for generations - Creative Excellence Fridays

Why is animation still one of the most powerful motivators and influencers for selling ideas, services and products? I think it's because cartoons were the first things that touched our young virgin brain matter as soon as we were old enough to prop ourselves up in front of the television.

Cartoons, for many, are our first exposure to the world outside. How many times have you heard someone say "Bugs Bunny was my introduction to the opera!"



Rossini's Barber of Seville still echos through my mind as "Welcome to my shop... let me cut your mop."

But cartoons have also been a powerful selling tool over the years.

I remember as a child, seeing the Lucky Charms box and the Lucky Charms leprechaun. The box just magically ended up in my mom's shopping cart. We got as far as the check out before she quietly pulled it out and hid it behind a LifeSavers cardboard stand.

The original commercials in the 60's had children chasing the leprechaun. Catch a leprechaun, keep the cereal. I guess my mom didn't see the commercial.




Times have changed considerably when you look at the new Lucky Charms commercial featuring a mash up of an auto-tune leprechaun mixed in with various current and nostalgic footage.

 

I remember that period in the 80's when moms joined together to ban violence in cartoons.  The result? Hundreds of cartoons from eras by gone were sliced and diced to take out all the bams, boffs and bonks, leaving the cartoons an empty shell of the original.


Then there was  a counter movement in the 90's with the advent of Ren and Stimpy, South Park and my personal favourite, Itchy and Scratchy.



I particularly loved this one because it was a perfect homage to those war time shorts that entertained but also leaned on patriotism.
 
Cartoons have always been a huge influence for us in our shop.  Which is why I pushed to create "The Big Bad Wolf Calling" below.  The Itchy and Scratchy influence  was definitely top of mind when we created this Google video for Debtcare TV.

We did keep the blood to a minimum though.

No anvils were harmed in the making of this commercial.

 

With over 30 years experience, Tim McLarty  currently works out of Toronto Canada as a writer/voice performer, producer and media strategist producing advertising and entertainment content.

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