Eureka 1981-1984 Animated Ad Campaign

[paul]

"Eureka Gets Dirt You Can't See" was the campaign tagline featuring Carpet Critters produced by the award-winning Kurtz and Friends animation studio, including animators Robert Peluce and Bob Kurtz, with direction by Mr. Kurtz.

One of several television commercials:

Photos:

1. 1981 Apr 30 TIMES-UNION article

2. 1981 Mar 28 EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD ad

3. 1983 Mar 16 BANGOR DAILY NEWS ad (mentions meeting the Carpet Critters)

4. 1980s unidentified magazine ad

5. Cel set-ups

6-7. apron

 

[kirbyclassiciii]

Paul

Ah, I recognize the name Bob Kurtz. He was one of the character designers of the original 1967 George of the Jungle cartoon series, the last Jay Ward Productions series to air on a broadcast network (ABC).

~Ben

 

[paul]

Cool, Ben. Thanks for that connection.

 

[human]

I don't remember that ad campaign at all. It would have come out when I was in my last years of high school and first years of college. I guess I wasn't paying much attention to daytime TV when such ads would have run. Still, it's pretty entertaining.

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks for another great post Paul!!!

Interesting side note: Eureka also used these cartoon critters on their shipping cartons. When my parents bought me my first Eureka upright in Florida (basic white and blue Dial-a-Nap upright), the box it came in featured the “gets dirt you can’t see” tag line along with a band of cartoon critters along the base of the box! I think it was model 1425 if I remember correctly. Can you imagine Eureka dealer store rooms filled with these whimsical boxes?

Eureka’s advertising always seemed to lean toward humourous campaigns from the 1960’s into the early 1980’s. Even the Eureka Express commercial of the mid 1980’s had a tongue in cheek tone to it!!!

 

[paul]

You bet, Brian! I did some exploring after seeing the critters in an ad I located for Edgar's Roto-Matic Power Team. I always appreciate personal stories like yours that give facts and specs more fun and meaning, so thank you, too!

As you can imagine, I went searching for a Eureka carton with Carpet Critters but came up empty-handed for now.

Along the way, I met Eureka Man in "The Inside Story" cartoon about disposable bags, posted by convertible68. He has a similar look to the GEORGE OF THE JUNGLE cartoon that Ben mentioned, so may also have been drawn by Kurtz and Friends.


Following that are a couple magazine ads I discovered that illustrate your claim about clever Eureka ads back in the day: one from 1985 for the Ultra model 7570 and a "Bare Care" one from 1990 featuring a Mighty Mite, a Rally, and the Eureka Care Bear with the comedic " ... Sweep You Off Your Feet" tagline.

 

[rugsucker]

Eureka Critters

 

[rugsucker]

Eureka Critters

 

[eurekaprince]

Thanks Jimmy!!!! What memories! My Eureka 1425 had the same kind of box! I proudly took it back to Montreal on a flight back from Florida in the winter of 1982! It fit in the overhead compartment in the cabin!

My carton showed the 1425 picture though (royal blue base with everything else white). It came with a basic set of white attachments - no floor brush and only one wand.

My very first Eureka owned by me for my very first apartment after moving out of my parents’ house….I loved that machine! And it lasted for over two decades!!!!

 

[paul]

Very cool, Jimmy; thanks for posting!

The newspaper ads reveal that the model 1429 sold in retail from 1982 to 1987. The model 1438 was also styled in white & red with tattersall bag cover print. Both were 4-way Dial-A-Naps with 4.0A motors, 660 cu. in. bag covers, and 20-foot cords, but the 1429 came with a Disturbulator beater-brush roll, and the 1438 with a V-G II beater-brush roll.

Hi Brian,

According to newspaper ads I located, the model 1425 came in two color combinations and motor amps - Types A, B, & D were in white (Fawn Beige?) & Big Bad Orange from 1974 to 1981 with 3.3A & 3.5A motors; & E, F, & G in white & blue from 1981 to 1988 with 4.0A motors.

Based on your info. above, I'm guessing then that you had the 1425E & that it still had a metal handle; and applying what I know in general that the 'F' was equipped with a plastic handle, the Helvetica Bold logotype nameplate and matching bag cover lettering; and the 'G' had the Helvetica Italicized bag cover lettering, or am I missing another basic change? Anyway, the ad descriptions revealed no changes.

Here's a February 1982 newspaper ad featuring the 1425-E (sorry, no Critters!):

 

[eurekaprince]

I must have had the 1425F. The two-piece handle was plastic. The Dial-a-Nap had 4 settings. The logo on both the nose of the motor head and the bag was the classic Eureka Williams font in a box with the boomerang E+W graphic. The brandname was on a stiffer plastic add-on label on the bag in a vertical orientation.