Back in the 1950s and 60s, companies spent a lot of money buying regular advertisements in the
Lorain Journal as part of their marketing plan. Just about everyone read the newspaper back then, and newspapers were huge and packed with ads. Consequently, businesses strived to find some gimmick that would make readers pay attention to their marketing efforts.
Back here, I wrote about how Tony's Meats utilized a weekly quiz in its ads using artwork that it had either purchased or licensed for use. Meat markets in other cities used the same exact illustrations and ad copy.
In a similar vein, a lovable bear cub – TV Teddy – was developed by some unsung agency or art studio, and offered to TV repair companies beginning in the mid-1950s for use in their ads with accompanying rhyming ad copy.
Locally, Lewis Radio & TV Service was the home of TV Teddy. Here's his first appearance in the 1954 Lorain Telephone Book.
It's curious that the illustrations of TV Teddy (as we shall see) always seemed a little rough, as if they were drawn by a talented amateur artist. However, Teddy's appearance in the 1956
Lorain Telephone Book featured a handsome rendering of him wearing a beanie topped with a small replica TV antennas.
The rendering of the cute cub in
Lorain Journal ads aren't unbearable – they're just a little rough. Actually, they have a charm all their own.
Here's an ample sample. I like the how the gremlins or devils causing the TV trouble get pummeled and abused in the ads, sometimes by the lovable cub himself. The cantankerous TVs are funny too.
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| Jan. 10, 1955 |
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| Jan. 19, 1955 |
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| Dec. 1, 1955 |
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| Dec. 9, 1955 |
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| Dec. 19, 1955 |
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| Jan. 21, 1956 |
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| Feb. 16, 1956 |
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| March 21, 1956 |
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| April 14, 1956 |
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| Aug. 25, 1956 |
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| Jan. 11, 1957 |
As the 1950s drew to a close, TV Teddy appeared less and less as Lewis Radio -TV instead funneled their ad money into almost daily ads in the classified section consisting of all type. But the ever-smiling bear made one of his final appearances locally in this ad from March 28, 1959 before eventually going into permanent hibernation.
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| March 28, 1959 |
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TV Teddy was one of the local ad mascots that I featured on my very
old website entitled
"Oakie's Treehouse." It was created using Weebly software a lonnnnng time ago. But you might find it amusing, as I seemed to cram as many puns into the text as possible.
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Here are some of TV Teddy's appearances in newspapers in other markets. We'll start with the Garrett Clipper in Garrett, Indiana.
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| July 8, 1954 |
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| Aug. 12, 1954 |
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| Jan. 27, 1955 |
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| Feb. 3, 1955 |
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| Feb. 17, 1955 |
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| Feb. 24, 1955 |
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| March 3, 1955 |
The DeKalb, Illinois
Daily Chronicle gave TV Teddy a nice buildup before he appeared.
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| Aug. 2, 1954 |
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| Sept. 13, 1954 |
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| Oct. 18, 1954 |
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