The Game Show Forum
The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: Mr. Matté on February 22, 2020, 10:21:40 PM
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During the mid-/end-of- show plugs of various 70s or 80s shows, the announcer when reading off the list of things departing contestants or audience members may receive, I occasionally hear a generic item unrelated to the main plug and product card displayed announced. An example would be "...and a skateboard plus a supply of Rice-A-Roni the San Francisco treat..." What is the impetus behind this? Does Rice-a-Roni supply an actual skateboard (bought at Walmart or something) or provide a gift certificate? Or is the random item from the production company?
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The one that comes to mind as a direct prize correlation is the luxurious beach towel from Hawaiian Tropic. But that might just be said to get you to look on the art card for a beach towel, because that certainly wasn't the focus.
The odd items are obviously not sponsored, but those fee plugs probably had some cash that went to a prize broker who could get a bunch of odds and ends. Also, I would have to think that some contestants did not fit the daytime demographic of the era, so they threw in a few extras that weren't cosmetics and Lee Press-on Nails. But obviously there were some advertisers that offered broad appeal, such as half a wall of Z-Brick.
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Pretty sure you got a waffle iron with your supply of Staley Syrup...honestly it has been awhile since I've seen any Match Game but this one stuck out for me.
They also made Sta-Puf fabric softener. Thought that was strange before I remembered that French's mustard and Lysol once belonged to the same company; ditto Skippy peanut butter and Lever 2000 soap (for the time when you got peanut butter all over your 2000 parts of course).
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I believe you got "beautiful towels" with your supply of Ty-D-Bowl.
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And a warming tray with Creamette.
Lots of companies slap their logos onto promotional goods like tote bags and calculators and personal stereos. Maybe that skateboard sported a prominent Rice-A-Roni logo?
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I always just assumed that they were random low-value freebies they got that weren't valuable enough to get a voiced plug (and maybe the provider's name just appeared in the credits on screen?). They weren't always complimentary to the other plugs they'd be sandwiched between, I don't think. Not a real life example, but I've certainly heard plugs similar to, "Kiwi shoe polish, for the best looking shoes ever! ...and a toaster! ...and a year's supply of Liquid Tide, nothing gets clothes brighter than Liquid Tide!"
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https://youtu.be/nzg-HQ_T_UQ
Here's some fee plugs from an episode of Match Game '76. The second plug is from Rice-A-Roni; my takeaway is that Rice-A-Roni provided a tray and a supply of their tasty side dish.
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I always assumed they were a means of rounding up the prize package and were paid by the production company. A very interesting question!
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https://youtu.be/nzg-HQ_T_UQ
Here's some fee plugs from an episode of Match Game '76. The second plug is from Rice-A-Roni; my takeaway is that Rice-A-Roni provided a tray and a supply of their tasty side dish.
Surely the Clark Bar people didn't supply a travel alarm clock though.
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The most recent example of this I can remember was TPiR in the late 90's/early 00's, when "a telephone from Invention Submission Corporation" was a regular part of the consolation prizes.
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https://youtu.be/nzg-HQ_T_UQ
Here's some fee plugs from an episode of Match Game '76. The second plug is from Rice-A-Roni; my takeaway is that Rice-A-Roni provided a tray and a supply of their tasty side dish.
Surely the Clark Bar people didn't supply a travel alarm clock though.
It's plausible though...here's an example...
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/kelloggs-corn-flakes-alarm-clock-1803029966
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You know, I just thought of this...considering some of the promo materials these companies send to retailers, it would not surprise me one bit if there really was a skateboard with Rice-A-Roni logos on it offered to some random store manager.
Just go through your local market one day and take a look at some of the promo displays. Especially when the NCAA postseason festivities start in a few weeks.
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The most recent example of this I can remember was TPiR in the late 90's/early 00's, when "a telephone from Invention Submission Corporation" was a regular part of the consolation prizes.
Maybe it was a telephone with a feature somebody was trying to get a patent for.
/sarcasm
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One of my parting gifts on first season Jeopardy! (35 years ago this week -- yikes!) was from Shasta soft drinks. Along with coupons for a couple of cases of Shasta, they threw in a fairly nice beach towel with the Shasta logo. And since I most likely wasn't going to fit into the Hanes Underalls panty hose, they gave me an instant camera instead.
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I remember reading on Curt Alliaume's old website that a contestant who won money on Winning Streak also got the parting gifts...did they just give them away to anyone who was lucky enough to get on, even if you retired as an undefeated champion?
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I don't remember getting bonus trinkets when I was on Sale of the Century. I do remember that one of my consolation prizes was a supply of Otter Pops, the freezer treat. Instead I got a check (I believe it was for $20) along with a note saying that they hoped I would take this check and go to the store to buy my own Otter Pops.
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I remember reading on Curt Alliaume's old website that a contestant who won money on Winning Streak also got the parting gifts...did they just give them away to anyone who was lucky enough to get on, even if you retired as an undefeated champion?
Yes. Repeatedly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7ggePjCP8Y
"A toaster...a bathroom scale...a clock radio, oh and another toaster."
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That video is fourteen frigging years old...man oh Manischewitz.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bob still is using some of that stuff. That cleanser sure looks like a lifetime supply.
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That video is fourteen frigging years old...man oh Manischewitz.
Sammy Davis Jr. is smiling from above. :)
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That video is fourteen frigging years old...man oh Manischewitz.
It came from an earlier version of his personal website and he was first a contestant on Halloween of 1997.
I wouldn't be surprised if Bob still is using some of that stuff. That cleanser sure looks like a lifetime supply.
After consulting with his competitor-turned-friend Kim Worth Bob decided to donate what remained at some point of the perishable stuff and cleansers to local shelters, which I would have done as I have not accumulated enough enemies in my forty years on earth to unload that amount of V-8 Splash at them.
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After consulting with his competitor-turned-friend Kim Worth Bob decided to donate what remained at some point of the perishable stuff and cleansers to local shelters, which I would have done as I have not accumulated enough enemies in my forty years on earth to unload that amount of V-8 Splash at them.
Shoulda called me. I quite enjoy V8 Splash. :)
And got the taste of it through getting a random supply of it. Dad until very recently drove for a carting company doing private contracting work (in other words, if his company supplied you with dumpsters and if he was the driver on your route, he was the guy who picked it up) and some of his customers would, from time to time, give him stuff to take home. One was a warehouser in North Jersey that distributed stuff to local stores, and they happened to have a contract with whoever was bottling V8 at the time in the area (I assume Campbell's wasn't doing it themselves, and Camden is in southwest Jersey). So Dad brought home a couple of cases of V8 Splash bottles and I decided to try it. What can I say? It was good.
My dad also was the man who picked up refuse at a restaurant featured on Kitchen Nightmares. I like to tell a story about that, but for the sake of bandwidth won't do it here (but if you wanna know, feel free to message me).
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During the '80s, I remember gift certificates and a cooler bucket from KFC being a consolation prize on several shows.
And who could forget the Heatter-Quigley shows offering consolation prizes up the wazoo, like nighttime Hollywood Squares for example:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0QLaTKyLNk
/Boy, if only Lord Alfred Hayes was with us today to say, "Closed captioning and promotional consideration paid for by the following..."
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I distinctly remember a fee plug on a gameshow that included a skateboard, but I think the product was Blammo bubblegum.
The announcer said "...and a skateboard, and Blammo bubblegum (followed by description)". The still picture showed an actual skateboard with maybe a couple dozen individually-wrapped pieces of bubblegum randomly strewn on and around it.
Of course, Blammo bubblegum has long since been discontinued.