Advertising: UPA's Bert and Harry Piels

For the past couple of weeks, we've been working on a project to document an important part of the history of the animated commercial. I'll have more information on that project for you soon. I've spent the last two days in telecine sessions transferring some incredibly rare films to video, and I wanted to share a little bit of what I discovered with you.


In December of 1955, the Young & Rubicam advertising agency introduced the first series of spots for Piels beer featuring the characters Bert and Harry Piels. Voiced by the comic geniuses from radio and records, Bob & Ray (Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding), this pair of cartoon pitchmen bungled their way through some of the best television commercials ever created. The spots were animated by UPA in Los Angeles and New York. After UPA dissolved, for a short time they were animated by Gene Deitch at Terrytoons.


Even though Piels Beer was only sold in New York, the fame of the commercials spread across the country. TV Guide even listed air dates for the spots at the peak of their popularity.


Time magazine wrote of the spots...

For five years the softest sell on East Coast TV and radio opened with a gruff, bullying "Hello viewers, I'm Bert Piel and this is my brother Harry." Cartoon characters created by UPA (Mr. Magoo) and given voice by radio's Bob (Elliott) & Ray (Goulding), Boisterous Bert and Harried Harry were pitchmen for Piel's Beer- and invariably the pitch went awry. The lights failed during a taste-test, the man-in-the-street interview turned up a long-winded Piel's fan who would not let Bert get his motivational research questions in edgewise, the labels got switched during a beer test and Brand X's foam lasted longer. Bert and Harry not only spoofed Piel's but Madison Avenue itself, put a new twist in kidding commercials.

The viewers (Bert invariably addressed the radio audience as "radio viewers") loved it, and for three years Piel's sales set new records.

In 1960, the groundbreaking cartoon team of Bert and Harry Piels was replaced by a simple jingle, ending one of the most unconventional and creative advertising campaigns of all time. Here is a sampling of some of UPA's best Bert and Harry Piels commercials...


Bert and Harry Piels Commercials (UPA/1955-57)
(Quicktime 7 / 17.2 megs)

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In particular, notice how the animation of the characters follow the inflections in the voice tracks and how brilliantly Bob & Ray are at creating unexpected timing and humor. When was the last time you saw a suicide gag in a TV commercial?!

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive
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