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4-H Promotion Compendium: 4-H Celebrity Promotional Spots


A National Compendium of 4-H Promotion and Visibility over the Past Century


4-H Celebrity Promotional Spots

Perma-Link » http://4-HHistory.com/?ps=51

Beginning in 1965... and, extending into the 1970s, the National 4-H Service Committee, in cooperation with the Cooperative Extension Service, provided an annual "package" of radio public service announcements promoting 4-H just prior to National 4-H Week. Voiced by "celebrities," the spots were popular with the stations and many used them year round. The state Extension radio editors and state 4-H offices also used the recordings to the fullest.

The spots were produced on 2-sided 33-1/3 RPM vinyl records and distributed to nearly every radio station in the country – big or small. Larry Krug, the Service Committee's radio-TV specialist, was responsible for writing the scripts, contacting the celebrities (or their managers) and having the records produced and shipped.

Krug says, "We had very little budget for this annual project and spent most of it on mailing the records to the radio stations." He says, "I remember fondly the hot summer afternoon, leaving the 4-H office in Chicago's Loop and taking the elevated train north to Wrigley Field lugging my old, heavy Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder. I did the radio spots with Ernie Banks in the Chicago Cubs dugout before the game." Another time, Krug says, I went down to Rensselaer, Indiana with Jerry Deuel, editor, National 4-H News, to the Chicago Bears training camp to interview and record Gale Sayers, who had recently been named Rookie of the Year. After the 4-H interviews the PR staff invited us to stay for lunch with the team in the big building just off the training field. The food providers placed a plate including two large baked potatoes and a 24-oz. steak in front of each of us. As the big football players were scarfing down their lunch – obviously all members of the "clean plate club" – Jerry and I felt we had no choice but to eat everything on our plates, too. We were in misery our entire drive back to Chicago.

Some of the celebrities voicing the 4-H spots on the records include: entertainers Arthur Godfrey, Bob Hope, Eddie Albert, Ernie Ford and Diahann Carroll. Also, television personalities Mike Douglas and Johnny Carson.

Sports stars represented included Quarterback Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs first baseman Ernie Banks, Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas, Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, race car drivers Richard Petty and Parnelli Jones, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox, and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Don Meredith.

Additional celebrities voicing spots: actors Bill Cosby and Jimmy Stewart; astronaut James Lovell; Miss America Marilyn Van Derbur; Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and columnist Ann Landers.

While many of these names may not be familiar today, 45+ years ago most of them were certainly "star power."

In later years – probably the early '80s – two additional celebrity packages were distributed which included VIPs Telly Savalas, Pat Boone, Glenn Campbell, Tanya Tucker, Roy Rogers, The Captain and Tenille, Archie Griffin, The Fifth Dimension, Eric Estrada, Sugar Ray Leonard, Rita Moreno and Charlie Pride.

There was certainly nothing unique about the 4-H celebrity records. Some other organizations were doing the same thing. But responses the National 4-H Service Committee got back from the stations on the return postcards that accompanied the records were sometimes unbelievable. It was not unusual for a station to reply that they had aired the spots 100 times, or 150 times!... with the added notation, "Please send us more."

Here are samples of the spots:

Ernie Ford

"This is Ernie Ford saluting 4-H members and leaders everywhere for their fine accomplishments. As a father of 4-H members, I certainly want to commend these two and three-quarter million young people who live up to the 4-H motto, "Learning by Doing." Nowadays, boys and girls wherever they live can enjoy belonging to 4-H. They learn new skills and experiences, and leadership responsibilities. So, if you're between the ages of nine and 19 – or are a parent of a boy or girl between nine and 19 – take it from Ernie Ford – enroll them in 4-H, an opportunity well worthwhile."

Bob Hope

"Hi, this is Bob Hope saluting America's three million 4-H boys and girls who are setting examples for 4-H organizations in 80 other countries around the world. There's even an active 4-H program in war-torn Vietnam, where the government has issued a postage stamp in honor of 4-H as being one of the few hopes of the future that lives and grows each day in their country. 4-H has something to offer every boy or girl between the ages of nine through 19, or if you're over 19, become a 4-H leader, an opportunity to help today's youth." [It was during this period that Bob Hope was doing his annual Christmas tours to the war zones, including Vietnam.]

Jim Nabors

"This is Jim Nabors saluting 4-H members everywhere for the fine job they are doing in helping to build a stronger America. Through their modern educational programs, 4-H has something to offer all youth wherever you may live. Such a strong program has kindled the way to 4-H-like organizations around the world. I had the opportunity to meet sixteen hundred of these young people at National 4-H Congress in Chicago and felt comforted to see these young Americans gathered and to know that our nation will continue to thrive in capable leadership for many, many more years. If you're between nine and 19 and would like to join 4-H – take it from Jim Nabors – join today – you'll be glad you did."

Ernie Banks

"This is Ernie Banks with the Chicago Cubs, saluting a real fine youth organization – 4-H. There are three million boys and girls in this country learning how to do things and having fun through 4-H. And now days they come from the cities and suburbs as well as the country – in fact, we have 150 4-H Clubs right here in the city of Chicago! If you're between the ages of nine through nineteen, take it from Ernie Banks – hit a home run with 4-H by contacting your county extension office today."







Compiled by National 4-H History Preservation Team.


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