1956 contest poster, from my collection.
In 1956, Walt Disney held a nationwide contest, sponsored by 3M (the makers of Scotch tape). Contestants had to answer the following question in 25 words or less: “I like Scotch Brand Cellophane Tape because…” Out of all the entries, 25 lucky families would win a trip to the newly-opened Disneyland! (…or New York, but would you really want to choose that over Disneyland?!) At that same time, Song of the South was being re-released to theaters. And who better to promote this contest than our lovable trio, Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, and Brer Bear?
One of the 8 million tape dispensers made for the contest.
The Barstow family of Wethersfield, Connecticut, was one of those 25 lucky families to win. They even created a homemade documentary of the whole experience! The film has proven to be so important from a historical perspective that it was added to the National Film Registry in 2008 (yes, the very same registry we’re trying to get Song of the South into!)
So sit back and enjoy life (and Disneyland) as it was back in 1956. I certainly enjoyed watching this, and if you’re a Disney fan I think you will too. Be sure to keep an eye out for the original Scotch tape display with Brer Rabbit! Special thanks goes out to Steve for letting me know about this great piece of Disney history.
If the film doesn’t show up below, click here.
That was Just Like a Wedding Sign Says “Just Married”