Reid About It

Wandering around the other night, I happened upon something that was such a perfect example of marketing that I was momentarily taken aback, and then aforward, for that matter.

There's a product that has a celebrity endorsement that has stood the test of time, and even though now it makes no sense, it's still the biggest product on the market.

Flintstones vitamins.

Think about it. Flintstones vitamins are synonymous with children's vitamins. That cartoon has been off the air for forty years. I don't even think the reruns are airing on basic cable anywhere. But you start talking about vitamins, and everybody thinks of them in a little Fred-shaped pill.

Nobody who takes Flintstones vitamins was alive when the show was on, for crying out loud. When I was growing up, I didn't eat Fatty Arbuckle vitamins, but somehow the Flintstones are still ranging across the generations.

Now that's some staying power. You don't see Yogi Bear doing spots for Geico. Huckleberry Hound isn't the pitchman for Xanax. Hell, Quick Draw McGraw couldn't get arrested in Hollywood these days, but everybody starts their day with a little bit of Fred or Barney.

Somehow, this modern stone age family is still raking in the big bucks. And don't get me started on the whole Cocoa Pebbles/Fruity Pebbles thing. It's a money-making syndicate through the courtesy of Fred's two feet.