The California Raisins 🎙️ This Object in History | Smithsonian Channel

Audiences were spellbound, competitors were jealous, and consumers began to buy more raisins than ever. It’s the unlikely phenomenon of the ‘California Raisins’ who blazed across 1980s TV screens, to the tune of Motown classic ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine.’ This groundbreaking ad campaign, brought to life thanks to then-cutting edge ‘claymation’ effects, made stars out animated crooning raisins-and emblazoned them in the annals of pop culture-culminating with a display at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.
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[@tonyarichards5430]

It was flattering not degrading. That’s why it worked.

[@2HighNoon]

They live on in the hearts of my generation. Thanks for this video, it was a happy moment from the past. Have a blessed day.

[@Lanhoj]

*Wasn't expecting a California Raisin video from this channel ... but hey, I'm not complaining. Keep this kind of video coming!*

[@stephanieevjen]

I ❤️ The California Raisins! Their covers of classic Motown songs are truly jammin'. "Meet The Raisins" has been my favorite special growing up, along with "Claymation Christmas". Got both specials on DVD, along with "Raisins: Sold Out" and "The California Raisins Show". Even got their albums on iTunes. California Raisins forever!💜🍇🎶

[@nitronick]

I must've watched the "Meet the Raisins" special a hundred times when I was a kid, now whenever I hear those songs on the radio it always makes me think of the scenes from that special. Helped shape my taste in music 😎

[@susanfit47]

The California Raisins were successful. The concept was originally created for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board "I Heard It Through the Grapevine'" (the 1968 song popularized by Marvin Gaye). To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, paving the way for several future commercials and opportunities through other media. The commercials were produced by Vinton Studios using their claymation technique, with character designs by Michael Brunsfeld. They also gave the band members names: Tiny Goodbite, Justin X. Grape, Ben Indasun, I loved the claymation holiday specials, they have two animated films, Meet the Raisins: The Story of California Raisins, and Raisins: Sold Out! - The California Raisins II. It also gave the band members individual names and roles: A.C. (vocals), Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (guitar/piano). They released records, featuring Motown and rock standards, from 1987 to 1988, and their signature song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 84. However, the Raisins would continue to make their strongest impression through animated endeavors, and the characters proved popular enough that they were used to endorse Post Raisin Bran cereal. They were nominated for an Emmy, and their animated series titled The California Raisin Show. They had merchandise, lunch boxes, notebooks, clothing, posters, bedsheets, T-shirts, a board game, coffee cups, sleeping bags, raisin bank, puzzles, postcards, pillows, fan/light chain, air fresheners, finger puppets, books, coloring books, change purse, game cards, a calendar, button pins, Bandana, backpack, plush toys, shoes, sitcker set, World Tour Sticker trading cards, a Halloween costume, a 6-issue comic book series entitled The California Raisins 3-D which included 3D glasses, a computer game for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and PC compatibles, the non-poseable California Raisins figures. Hardee's restaurant chain offered these as part of a promotion for its Cinnamon 'N' Raisin biscuits. Different collections were produced in 1987, 1988, 1991, and finally in 2001 (the latter adding Carls Jr. due to their late '90s acquisition of Hardee's) for their new stylization, a third round of plush Raisins in 1989. Nintendo wanted a piece of the pie, and announced that it would bring a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titled The California Raisins: The Grape Escape, in which the player controlled a California Raisin through five side-scrolling levels battling various evil fruit and vegetable characters that have stolen the Raisins' music, similar to Capcom's own Mega Man, DuckTales, and Darkwing Duck. The game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, that was produced in 1990. Big problem: Nintendo was planned supposed to come out in early 1991, it ended up going unreleased, by which point, The California Raisins fad had come and gone. By the time this NES title was ready to hit the market, Nintendo would've already released its next-generation Super NES, making the NES (and all its games) obsolete. By 1991, they're a huge phenomeon. And the Will Vinton Studios gives the smithsonian national museum of American History. I liked collecting the figures. I own 12 of them of the 52 figures, but I haven't collected all of 52 figures yet.

[@Ukie_Hags_World]

The California Raisins Ad Campaign was brilliant. I remember it, although it didn't make me go out and buy more raisins. I have the Calif.Raisins movie on VHS and some of their figurines. I didn't see any race or culture... just pure talent in the artistry, music, and simple entertainment. I have to go listen to some Motown now and remember some better times in my life.

[@heckensteiner4713]

Amazing stuff. I wore out Meet the Raisins on VHS when I was a kid. Really cool seeing a more cultural dive into this weirdly awesome phenomenon.

[@jillibeens57]

I never equated the Raisins to any race or culture. I just thought they were adorable and the music was great. I must have missed something. I still have around 20 of those figurines.

[@1jotun136]

One name: Ray Haryhausen. Long, long before the California raisins.

[@PathOfAvraham]

He used claymation too?

[@ZombiedustXXX]

And Art Clokey.

[@suzettecalleja3122]

Don't forget Gumby he was around long before the rasins.

[@meganh4011]

I still have my little figures of them! And let's face it the music was amazing🤩 BtwI still love raisins💞

[@heatnicoleher]

Wish I still had them! 🎷

[@Biscuit9891]

Just eat grapes

[@sealyoness]

You still have the figures?! I only had a couple...

[@meganh4011]

@@sealyoness I am lucky enough that nobody else in my family cousins my sister extension didn't want what they had and ended up giving them to me. I don't know if that's luck or if I'm just a family historian.

[@genevavredeveld3748]

I miss the days of great commercials! Now they are an insult to our intelligence!

[@wootlesswocks]

I loved the California Raisins, and when I grew up it turned out I LOVE motown

[@erict3397]

I love the raisins so much went out and had a california raisin figure made into a sterling silver pendant to wear on my necklace and I never take it off

[@BonJody]

I was a Californian Raisin for Halloween when I was 5

[@AngelinaQuintero_2006]

I love the Michael Jackson commercial! It was super cute :)

[@keybowden5646]

Ilove me some raisins. Even though I suffer from chronic migraines and scattered headaches 🤦🏽‍♂️ they just gotta be a trigger

[@goodgollygeez]

Raisins are hip!

[@gland1830]

I loved the 'California Raisins', Rasisinets.

[@icedpeppercoconutoilchan]

i freakin love raisin

[@TyroneEpps]

This is cool😊😊😊😊

[@justdrinkcoconut8752]

Yooooooooo i Miss your channel

[@DEVOTED2YaHUaH144k]

Who remembers the California Raisins! Im oldschool lol

[@luisbeltran937]

Nowadays it would be probably different

[@sirjuliusnorris7513]

Fun times...

[@sealyoness]

It was fun and refreshing, and then it got massively overmarketed until I was sick of raisins. Why did the marketers have to spoil it?

[@ZombiedustXXX]

In Japan, The California Raisins campaign flopped for four reasons: 1) Japan was not familiar with raisins. 2) The California Raisins looked like turds 3) Their theme song didn't translate well enough. 4) Their hands only had four digits which reminded the Japanese people of Japan's organized crime gangs called the Yakuza, and their punishment ritual of removing fingers.

[@joegagnon2268]

i had a couple plastic raisins toys

[@helpme100]

❤️🍊

[@joegagnon2268]

im smiling

[@chiefexecutive]

I remember them when I was a kid but dang they’re creepy now ! 😂🤣

[@TheFahadandsana]

Love the Michael Jackson commercials.

[@AngelinaQuintero_2006]

Me too! Mj forever!! ❤

[@phil4193]

Claymation was not new in the eighties. It had been done since the fifties. Ever heard of Gumby? This lady doesn't know what she's talking about.

[@mommanana9961]

I loved these little guys! They wouldn’t be able to make those today with the way people are now. It would be considered offensive. This was an amazing video! I worked for Hardee’s and we sold the raisins there and we couldn’t keep them in stock. They were a great seller!

[@joegagnon2268]

greeeeeeeeeeeeeed

[@josephjoestar5444]

Now a days everyone would offended

[@lemmykilmister873]

🤔

[@milkytoez6571]

Ayy

[@sherirobinson6867]

Davy and Goliath were claymation

[@phil4193]

They weren't made of clay. They were puppets with wire armatures. It's called "stop motion" animation.

[@sherirobinson6867]

@@phil4193 you mean like marionettes? It's probably been 45 years since I've seen Davey and Goliath.. but I really thought they were claymation in the early age

[@richveralrud1644]

This is where Maxine Waters was created.

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

In 2021 , this would be labeled "racist" .

[@lightning5273]

Surprised the left didn't call the raisins racist and want them to rebrand.

[@ultrashmutz93]

You couldn’t look away? There’s nothing more dismissible than these raisins. If they were real, singing in front of me, I couldn’t care less.

[@susanfit47]

The California Raisins were successful. The concept was originally created for a 1986 Sun-Maid commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board "I Heard It Through the Grapevine'" (the 1968 song popularized by Marvin Gaye). To their surprise, the commercial became wildly popular, paving the way for several future commercials and opportunities through other media. The commercials were produced by Vinton Studios using their claymation technique, with character designs by Michael Brunsfeld. They also gave the band members names: Tiny Goodbite, Justin X. Grape, Ben Indasun, I loved the claymation holiday specials, they have two animated films, Meet the Raisins: The Story of California Raisins, and Raisins: Sold Out! - The California Raisins II. It also gave the band members individual names and roles: A.C. (vocals), Beebop (drums), Stretch (bass), and Red (guitar/piano). They released records, featuring Motown and rock standards, from 1987 to 1988, and their signature song, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine", landed on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at number 84. However, the Raisins would continue to make their strongest impression through animated endeavors, and the characters proved popular enough that they were used to endorse Post Raisin Bran cereal. They were nominated for an Emmy, and their animated series titled The California Raisin Show. They had merchandise, lunch boxes, notebooks, clothing, posters, bedsheets, T-shirts, a board game, coffee cups, sleeping bags, raisin bank, puzzles, postcards, pillows, fan/light chain, air fresheners, finger puppets, books, coloring books, change purse, game cards, a calendar, button pins, Bandana, backpack, plush toys, shoes, sitcker set, World Tour Sticker trading cards, a Halloween costume, a 6-issue comic book series entitled The California Raisins 3-D which included 3D glasses, a computer game for the Apple II, Commodore 64, and PC compatibles, the non-poseable California Raisins figures. Hardee's restaurant chain offered these as part of a promotion for its Cinnamon 'N' Raisin biscuits. Different collections were produced in 1987, 1988, 1991, and finally in 2001 (the latter adding Carls Jr. due to their late '90s acquisition of Hardee's) for their new stylization, a third round of plush Raisins in 1989. A video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) titled The California Raisins: The Grape Escape, in which the player controlled a California Raisin through five side-scrolling levels battling various evil fruit and vegetable characters that have stolen the Raisins' music, similar to Capcom's own Mega Man, DuckTales, and Darkwing Duck. The game was completed and several video game critics reviewed it, that was supposed to come out in 1990 or 1991, it ended up going unreleased. By 1991, they're a huge phenomeon. And the Will Vinton Studios gives the smithsonian national museum of American History. I liked collecting the figures. I own 12 of them of the 52 figures, but I haven't collected all of 52 figures yet.