The California Raisins
| The California Raisins | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First appearance | June 19, 1986 |
| Last appearance |
1992 1994(Merchandising) |
| Created by | California Raisin Advisory Board |
| Information | |
| Aliases | The Singin' Dancin' California Raisins |
| Nationality | American |
1992
The California Raisins were a fictional rhythm and blues animated musical group as well as advertising and merchandising characters composed of anthropomorphized raisins. Lead vocals were sung by musician Buddy Miles. The California Raisins concept experienced high popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s principally through claymation TV commercials and animated specials, winning an Emmy Award and one nomination.
The concept was originally created for a 1986 commercial on behalf of the California Raisin Advisory Board when one of the writers, Seth Werner (at the time with the advertising firm Foote, Cone & Belding SF, and now with big) came up with an idea for the new raisin commercial, saying, "We have tried everything but dancing raisins singing '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–one of which featured Ray Charles and another with a raisin caricature of Michael Jackson–and opportunities through other media. The commercials were produced by Vinton Studios using their claymation technique, with character designs by Michael Brunsfeld. The following year, the Raisins appeared in the Emmy Award-winning A Claymation Christmas Celebration, singing the Christmas carol, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (voiced by The Street Corner Singers).
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