Wilkins and Wontkins (partially lost series of Jim Henson commercials; 1957-1969): Difference between revisions

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|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
|status=<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''</span>
}}
}}
In 1957, puppeteer Jim Henson was asked by a Washington D.C. coffee company, '''Wilkins Coffee, to make commercials for their company'''. The company only had 10 seconds of screen time, so the ads had to be lightning-speed fast. From 1957 to 1961, Jim Henson created 179 ads for Wilkins Coffee, all of which revolve around the titular characters of Wilkins and Wontkins. In each commercial, Wilkins attempts to promote Wilkins Coffee to Wontkins, who states his distaste for the product before experiencing various slapstick misfortunes-- more often than not by Wilkins's hand-- for his opinion. The popularity of these ads sparked Wilkins and Wontkins to appear in commercials for various companies (Community Coffee, Red Diamond Coffee, Faygo, etc.). The various Wilkins and Wontkins commercials were initially produced in black and white before shifting to color in 1966. The last known Wilkins and Wontkins commercials made were for Community Coffee, made around 1969.
In 1957, puppeteer Jim Henson was asked by a Washington D.C. coffee company, '''Wilkins Coffee, to make commercials for their company'''. The company only had 10 seconds of screen time, so the ads had to be lightning-speed fast. From 1957 to 1961, Jim Henson created 179 ads for Wilkins Coffee, all of which revolve around the titular characters of Wilkins and Wontkins. In each commercial, Wilkins attempts to promote Wilkins Coffee to Wontkins, who states his distaste for the product before experiencing various slapstick misfortunes-- more often than not by Wilkins's hand-- for his opinion. The popularity of these ads sparked Wilkins and Wontkins to appear in commercials for various companies (Community Coffee, Red Diamond Coffee, Faygo, etc.). The various Wilkins and Wontkins commercials were initially produced in black and white before shifting to colour in 1966. The last known Wilkins and Wontkins commercials made were for Community Coffee, made around 1969.


==Companies==
==Companies==
Line 17: Line 17:
! style="background-color:brown" | Status
! style="background-color:brown" | Status
|-
|-
|1||Wilkins Coffee||1957-1961||179||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|1||Wilkins Coffee||1957-1961||179||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Lost'''
|-
|-
|2||Community Coffee||1959-1969||37||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|2||Community Coffee||1959-1969||37||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|3||Donovan Coffee Company||1961-1966||13||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|3||Donovan Coffee Company||1961-1966||13||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|4||Nash's Coffee||1958-1961||20||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|4||Nash's Coffee||1958-1961||20||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|5||La Touraine Coffee||1958-1962||15||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|5||La Touraine Coffee||1958-1962||15||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|6||Martinson Coffee||1959||15||<span style="color:orange;">''Partially Found''</span>
|6||Martinson Coffee||1959||15||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|7||Faygo||1958-1959||10||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|7||Faygo||1958-1959||10||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|8||Calso Water||1961||8||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|8||Calso Water||1961||8||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|9||Frank's Beverages||1961-1963||7||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|9||Frank's Beverages||1961-1963||7||<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|10||Kraml Dairy||1962||18||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|10||Kraml Dairy||1962||18||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|11||Merita Bread||1963||6||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|11||Merita Bread||1963||6||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|12||Taystee Bread||1967||9||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|12||Taystee Bread||1967||9||<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|13||Dugan's Bread||1962-1963||3||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|13||Dugan's Bread||1962-1963||3||<span style="color:green;">'''Found'''
|-
|-
|14||Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio)||1960||Unknown||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''</span>
|14||Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio)||1960||Unknown||<span style="color:orange;">'''Partially Found'''
|-
|-
|15||National City Bank||1960's?||Unknown||<span style="color:red;">''Lost''</span>
|15||National City Bank||1960s?||Unknown||<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''
|}
|}
==Availability==
There are selected commercials playing in certain exhibitions, including The Center for Puppetry Arts and the Jim Henson exhibition, Imagination Unlimited.


==Availability==
Out of the 179 Wilkins Coffee commercials, only 135 have been released on the internet. It is unknown how many of these commercials Jim Henson made, let alone how many ads The Jim Henson Company has stored in their archives.
Out of the 179 Wilkins Coffee commercials, only 100 have been released on the internet. It is unknown how many of these commercials Jim Henson made, let alone how many ads The Jim Henson Company has stored in their archives.
 
On June 26th, 2020, YouTuber [https://youtube.com/user/KermiClown KermiClown] uploaded a large collection of Wilkins commercials, including all the ads for Taystee Bread and Dugan's Bread.


==Videos==
==Videos==
Line 60: Line 63:
   |description2 =Wilkins Coffee commercials.
   |description2 =Wilkins Coffee commercials.
   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =X7Ko-19l1XQ
   |id3          =Xn8zhYnCjtA
   |description3 =Red Diamond Coffee commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.
   |description3 =Large majority of Wilkins Coffee ads (1/2).
   |service4    =youtube
   |service4    =youtube
   |id4          =bbEyQJsjpDQ
   |id4          =YekqG7w3qWA
   |description4 =Wilkins "Pie" commercial.
   |description4 =Large majority of Wilkins Coffee ads (2/2).
}}
}}
{{Video|perrow  =3
{{Video|perrow  =4
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =eF_QtO7SFcY
   |id1          =bbEyQJsjpDQ
   |description1 =Wilkins Coffee ad.
   |description1 =Wilkins "Pie" commercial.
   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
   |id2          =PxQvW7NNmno
   |id2          =thBEr14GJgk
   |description2 =A compilation of various commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.
   |description2 =All ads for Taystee Bread.
   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =TKpUZXEgXLs
   |id3          =JXOa0XXiIsE
   |description3 =Community Coffee commercials.
   |description3 =Compilation of ads for Nash's Coffee.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =HylRESnVEhw
  |description4 =Compilation of ads for Merita Bread.
}}
}}
{{Video|perrow  =3
{{Video|perrow  =4
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =SJmc6O7HJ98
   |id1          =PFByOGl0_rE
   |description1 =Kraml Milk commercials.
   |description1 =Compilation of ads for Frank's Beverages.
   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
   |id2          =6iPAt4qwYvQ
   |id2          =d5bo9v99tyY
   |description2 =Wilkins Coffee ad from Jim Henson documentary.
   |description2 =Compilation of random ads, including a rare ad for Frank's Beverages (3:44).
   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =o5PPK8pJH3M
   |id3          =MV-_EBnRM6Q
   |description3 =A compilation of outtakes featuring an unknown Wilkins Coffee ad.
   |description3 =Compilation of ads for La Touraine Coffee.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =yiHuBgctbwM
  |description4 =All ads for Dugan's Bread.
}}
}}
{{Video|perrow  =4
{{Video|perrow  =4
   |service1    =youtube
   |service1    =youtube
   |id1          =CgJJlb_uV0
   |id1          =6aDVReGsatM
   |description1 =A collection of commercials from the Jim Henson exhibition, recorded by a user named Jack Ryan Rice.
   |description1 =Compilation of ads for Faygo.
   |service2    =youtube
   |service2    =youtube
   |id2          =o6cn7qHUmnw
   |id2          =X7Ko-19l1XQ
   |description2 =Incomplete footage of the "Trainload" ad, found from a news report of Jim Henson's death.
   |description2 =Red Diamond Coffee commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.
   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =LlD6qRRad2I
   |id3          =PxQvW7NNmno
   |description3 =Another Kraml Milk advert.
   |description3 =A compilation of various commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.
   |service4    =youtube
   |service4    =youtube
   |id4          =crSl6YxTQjg
   |id4          =RjgjVMfOjko
   |description4 =Almost complete footage of the Frank's "Ship" ad.
   |description4 =Compilation of ads for Calso Water.
}}
{{Video|perrow  =4
  |service1    =youtube
  |id1          =8ZtoYYcRIvk
  |description1 =Compilation of Community Coffee commercials.
  |service2    =youtube
  |id2          =tpHME7nHMgQ
  |description2 =Kraml Milk commercials.
   |service3    =youtube
   |service3    =youtube
   |id3          =ZOSFvqJUD_8
   |id3          =o5PPK8pJH3M
   |description3 =A handful of clips of the "Cannon" commercial for Merita, Frank's, Nash's and Taystee.
   |description3 =A compilation of outtakes featuring an unknown Wilkins Coffee ad.
  |service4    =youtube
  |id4          =KelQ3g6rwis
  |description4 =Another Kraml Milk advert.
}}
}}
==Gallery==
==Gallery==
''Wilkins and Wontkins commercials that can only be found in images.''
''Wilkins and Wontkins commercials that can only be found in images.''
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
<gallery mode=packed heights=175px>
Wilkins Trainload.jpeg|Wilkins Coffee - "Trainload" (Partially Found)
Wilkins Brand X color.jpeg|Unknown remake of Brand X ad.
Wilkins Brand X color.jpeg|Unknown remake of Brand X ad.
Red Diamond Cannon.jpeg|Red Diamond - "Cannon" (Storyboard found)
Red Diamond Cannon.jpeg|Red Diamond - "Cannon" (Storyboard found)
Community Coffee Army.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Army" (Clip found from La Choy presentation)
Unknown Faygo Ad.jpeg|Faygo "Jailhouse" ad?  
Unknown Faygo Ad.jpeg|Faygo "Jailhouse" ad?  
Frank’s Beverages Ship.jpeg|Frank's Beverages - "Ship" (Almost completely found)
Merita Bread Cannon.jpeg|Merita Bread - "Cannon"
Tastee Bread Machine.png|Taystee Bread - "Machine" (Almost completely found)
Wilkin’s Tea Grocery Store.png|Wilkins Tea - Grocery Store (Clip found from Jim Henson documentary)
Calso Water Cannon.jpeg|Calso Water - "Cannon" (Clip found from La Choy presentation)
Calso Water Cannon.jpeg|Calso Water - "Cannon" (Clip found from La Choy presentation)
Community Coffee Cigar.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cigar" (Clip found from La Choy presentation)
Community Coffee Cigar.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cigar" (Clip found from La Choy presentation)
Line 126: Line 140:
Community Coffee Cannon Storyboard 3.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cannon" (pt. 3)
Community Coffee Cannon Storyboard 3.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cannon" (pt. 3)
Community Coffee Cannon Storyboard 4.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cannon" (pt. 4)
Community Coffee Cannon Storyboard 4.jpeg|Community Coffee - "Cannon" (pt. 4)
Merita Bread Brand X.jpg|Merita Bread - "Brand X" (Found, no audio)
Merita Bread Brand X.jpg|Merita Bread - "Brand X" (Found)
Taystee Bread Monster.jpg|Taystee Bread - "Monster"
Lolthiswasfrom2020forgotoactuallyputithere.png|A storyboard for Community Coffee ad, "Everybody"
Unknown Community Coffee Storyboard.jpeg|Partial storyboard for Community Coffee ad, "Everybody Likes Community Coffee".
Red Diamond Cheap.jpeg|Red Diamond - “Cheap Coffee.”
Red Diamond Cheap.jpeg|Red Diamond - “Cheap Coffee”
Tumblr padslhBAaM1wa7o90o1 500.jpg|Community Coffee - "TV Set" (Found)
Tumblr padslhBAaM1wa7o90o1 500.jpg|Community Coffee - "TV Set"
National City Bank.png|National City Bank - "Cannon."
National City Bank.png|National City Bank - "Cannon"
Unknwn.png|A storyboard of an unknown Wilkins Coffee commercial
Frank's.png|Frank's Beverges - "Pie"
</gallery>
</gallery>
==Completely Lost Commericals==
==Completely Lost Commericals==
''Commercials that are completely lost.''
''Commercials that are completely lost.''


Nash's Coffee - Communist Store. The Wilkins version can easily be found but the Nash's one is lost.
'''Nash's Coffee - Communist Store''' The Wilkins version can easily be found, but the Nash's one is lost.
 
Wilkins Coffee - Survey. Completely lost but the transcript is found.
 
TRANSCRIPT:
 
Wilkins: Next question, what do you think of Wilkins Coffee?
Wontkins: It's wonderful, delicious!
Wilkins: You see, friends-
Wontkins: Now give me the 10 bucks!
 
Wilkins Coffee - Traffic Court. Again, only the transcript can be found.
 
TRANSCRIPT:
Wilkins: "Why were you speeding?"
Wontkins: "I wanted a cup of coffee!"
Wilkins: "Wilkins Coffee?"
Wontkins: "No, just any old kind!
(A rattle of keys as a prison door slams on Wontkins' face.)
Wontkins: "Next time, I’ll say Wilkins!"
 
==Updates==
 
There's some rare commercials playing in some places. Like for example, The Center for Puppetry Arts, and the Jim Henson exhibition, Imagination Unlimited. They can be found in those places, but has yet to surface online. Few of them surfaced recently.
 


==Also See==
==See Also==
[[The Muppets' early ads (partially lost series of commercials; 1962-1969)]]
*[[The Muppets' early ads (partially lost series of commercials; 1962-1969)]]


==External Links==
==External Links==
*[http://fastimages.net/catdv/clip-details.jsp?id=579289 Compilation featuring a newly discovered Wilkins Coffee commercial.]
*[http://fastimages.net/catdv/clip-details.jsp?id=579289 Compilation featuring a newly discovered Wilkins Coffee commercial.]
*[https://mega.nz/#F!C34HQTDD!NwsCRC8Wqkmf1Hc6CetDPA A MEGA folder containing all known commercials (as of July 2018).]
*[https://mega.nz/#F!C34HQTDD!NwsCRC8Wqkmf1Hc6CetDPA A MEGA folder containing all known commercials and 4 alt takes (as of July 7th, 2020).]
*[https://youtu.be/BVoGf1JTVeI Defunctland's ''DefunctTV'' video covering the commercials along with ''Sam and Friends'' as part of a 6-part retrospective on Jim Henson.] Retrieved 31 Dec '19


==Sources==
==Sources==
* http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Wilkins_Coffee
* http://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Wilkins_Coffee
* http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Wilkins_and_Wontkins
* http://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Wilkins_and_Wontkins
* http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Muppet_commercials
* http://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Muppet_commercials
* https://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2013/11/111957/
* https://henson.com/jimsredbook/2013/11/111957/
* https://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2012/03/313-141969/
* https://henson.com/jimsredbook/2012/03/313-141969/
* https://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/12/1213-151966/
* https://henson.com/jimsredbook/2011/12/1213-151966/
* https://www.henson.com/jimsredbook/2013/08/8-1967-2/
* https://henson.com/jimsredbook/2013/08/8-1967-2/
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison01.htm
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison01.htm
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison02.htm
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison02.htm
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison04.htm
* http://toughpigs.com//anthmadison04.htm


[[Category: Lost advertising and interstitial material]]
[[Category:Lost advertising and interstitial material]]
[[Category: Lost puppetry]]
[[Category:Lost puppetry]]
[[Category: Lost TV]]
[[Category:Lost TV]]
[[Category: Partially lost media]]
[[Category:Partially lost media]]
[[Category: Historic]]
[[Category:Historic]]

Revision as of 20:07, 10 August 2022

Wilkins and Wontkins.jpeg

Wilkins (right), and Wontkins (left).

Status: Partially Lost

In 1957, puppeteer Jim Henson was asked by a Washington D.C. coffee company, Wilkins Coffee, to make commercials for their company. The company only had 10 seconds of screen time, so the ads had to be lightning-speed fast. From 1957 to 1961, Jim Henson created 179 ads for Wilkins Coffee, all of which revolve around the titular characters of Wilkins and Wontkins. In each commercial, Wilkins attempts to promote Wilkins Coffee to Wontkins, who states his distaste for the product before experiencing various slapstick misfortunes-- more often than not by Wilkins's hand-- for his opinion. The popularity of these ads sparked Wilkins and Wontkins to appear in commercials for various companies (Community Coffee, Red Diamond Coffee, Faygo, etc.). The various Wilkins and Wontkins commercials were initially produced in black and white before shifting to colour in 1966. The last known Wilkins and Wontkins commercials made were for Community Coffee, made around 1969.

Companies

Companies that Wilkins and Wontkins promoted.

# Company Runtime # of ads made Status
1 Wilkins Coffee 1957-1961 179 Partially Lost
2 Community Coffee 1959-1969 37 Partially Found
3 Donovan Coffee Company 1961-1966 13 Partially Found
4 Nash's Coffee 1958-1961 20 Partially Found
5 La Touraine Coffee 1958-1962 15 Partially Found
6 Martinson Coffee 1959 15 Partially Found
7 Faygo 1958-1959 10 Partially Found
8 Calso Water 1961 8 Partially Found
9 Frank's Beverages 1961-1963 7 Found
10 Kraml Dairy 1962 18 Partially Found
11 Merita Bread 1963 6 Partially Found
12 Taystee Bread 1967 9 Found
13 Dugan's Bread 1962-1963 3 Found
14 Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio) 1960 Unknown Partially Found
15 National City Bank 1960s? Unknown Lost

Availability

There are selected commercials playing in certain exhibitions, including The Center for Puppetry Arts and the Jim Henson exhibition, Imagination Unlimited.

Out of the 179 Wilkins Coffee commercials, only 135 have been released on the internet. It is unknown how many of these commercials Jim Henson made, let alone how many ads The Jim Henson Company has stored in their archives.

On June 26th, 2020, YouTuber KermiClown uploaded a large collection of Wilkins commercials, including all the ads for Taystee Bread and Dugan's Bread.

Videos

A compilation of many Wilkins Coffee ads.

Wilkins Coffee commercials.

Large majority of Wilkins Coffee ads (1/2).

Large majority of Wilkins Coffee ads (2/2).

Wilkins "Pie" commercial.

All ads for Taystee Bread.

Compilation of ads for Nash's Coffee.

Compilation of ads for Merita Bread.

Compilation of ads for Frank's Beverages.

Compilation of random ads, including a rare ad for Frank's Beverages (3:44).

Compilation of ads for La Touraine Coffee.

All ads for Dugan's Bread.

Compilation of ads for Faygo.

Red Diamond Coffee commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.

A compilation of various commercials featuring Wilkins and Wontkins.

Compilation of ads for Calso Water.

Compilation of Community Coffee commercials.

Kraml Milk commercials.

A compilation of outtakes featuring an unknown Wilkins Coffee ad.

Another Kraml Milk advert.

Gallery

Wilkins and Wontkins commercials that can only be found in images.

Completely Lost Commericals

Commercials that are completely lost.

Nash's Coffee - Communist Store The Wilkins version can easily be found, but the Nash's one is lost.

See Also

External Links

Sources