This album consists of 9 short radio advertisements from the 1950's for a brand of nuclear fallout shelters called Survive-All. I picked this up from the Dinosaur Gardens blog years ago, and thought it would be very fitting to share here. Looking back in hindsight these advertisements are morbidly hilarious, yet they also provide a bit of disturbing historical insight into the fears that hung over the heads of the average American family during the 1950's Cold War era, and corporations which hoped to capatalise on their fear. The download size is very small at only 6.4MB, with each track averaging roughly 30 to 50 seconds in length.
"Nothing lends itself better to a fear-based advertising campaign than your family’s radioactive death. So when the Mort Kridel Advertising Agency was asked to create a radio ad campaign for Survive-All Fallout Shelters, they did their best to scare the Wonder Bread crap out of nuclear families everywhere. Tense horn stabs and canned explosions bracket sales pitches like:
These are ripped from the original LP that would have gone to radio stations from the ad agency. There are 6 long versions and 3 shortened versions, each fairly different. Since it was promotional there was no record cover, but a scan of the record’s label is included. No year is evident, but since the zip code is two digits, it’s presumably pre-1963, and I would guess late 1950’s. - ECC of Dinosaur Gardens"
Year of Release: Unknown | Most Likely Late 50's
Label: Mort Kridel Advertising Agency
Genre: Commercials, Radio Ad
Bitrate: 192VBR
Track List:
1. Maximum Protection (General)
2. Comparison
3. Value
4. Equipment
5. DYS
6. Maximum Protection (Steel and Concrete)
7. DYS (short)
8. Maximum Protection (Steel and Concrete) (Short)
9. Maximum Protection (General) (Short)
"Nothing lends itself better to a fear-based advertising campaign than your family’s radioactive death. So when the Mort Kridel Advertising Agency was asked to create a radio ad campaign for Survive-All Fallout Shelters, they did their best to scare the Wonder Bread crap out of nuclear families everywhere. Tense horn stabs and canned explosions bracket sales pitches like:
"Radioactive fallout, that deadly by-product of a nuclear attack, will kill literally millions of unprotected families in the event of an atomic attack. Is YOUR family protected? Do YOU have a fallout shelter?
Each Civil defense approved, basement-type, Do-It-Yourself fallout shelter includes: A complete fully-stocked first aid kit! Extra strength saran and rayon bunks! A radiation meter and individual dosimeters! Civil defense approved, FHA approved, no money down, five years to pay! Economical… but Priceless!"
These are ripped from the original LP that would have gone to radio stations from the ad agency. There are 6 long versions and 3 shortened versions, each fairly different. Since it was promotional there was no record cover, but a scan of the record’s label is included. No year is evident, but since the zip code is two digits, it’s presumably pre-1963, and I would guess late 1950’s. - ECC of Dinosaur Gardens"
Year of Release: Unknown | Most Likely Late 50's
Label: Mort Kridel Advertising Agency
Genre: Commercials, Radio Ad
Bitrate: 192VBR
Track List:
1. Maximum Protection (General)
2. Comparison
3. Value
4. Equipment
5. DYS
6. Maximum Protection (Steel and Concrete)
7. DYS (short)
8. Maximum Protection (Steel and Concrete) (Short)
9. Maximum Protection (General) (Short)
And, of course, the ad agency producing these beauties was located in Columbus, OH - epicenter of mediocrity as represented by Mid-America.....they just didn't fully know it yet. Oh, wait, they still don't!
ReplyDeleteAwesome. Love the recent posts.
ReplyDeleteQuality post, exactly what this new fangled interweb's for!!
ReplyDeleteYeah i agree with all these points, you are going to take us in a right direction, this is really what we all need to know, thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteI could probably buy cheap air time and get them back in rotation.
ReplyDeleteNice one anon. both seeing the album come up and reading your post brought smiles! thought i better get this. just in case... (by the way, i wonder if they're still taking rifles to ufo sightings as the late great Bill Hicks used to say.)
ReplyDelete