Feb 20, 2021
Rush and “The Snapple Guys”
I noted in my earlier tribute to Rush, there are soooo many stories. As “special ones” come to mind I will pass them along. Like this one….
Early 1990s- EIB was “a media sensation” at 600+. The HateRush gang started their “He won’t last” drumbeat. … only 32 FREAKIN’ YEARS and never lost his Incredible Audience – YOU PEOPLE! God Bless You!
Dittohead Lifers will recall – before there was a Southern Command Center in Sunny South Florida – there was The EIB Building high atop Madison Square Garden / Penn Station. Many a NYC cabbie was asked “Please drive us by The EIB Building?” How does one say “EIB” in Ethiopian? For those of you in Rio Linda it was The WABC Studios.
Rush would order-in lunch as he did “show prep”. “HR” Kit Carson – Rush’s invaluable “aide-de-camp” – handled it. One day “HR” included a Peach flavored Ice Tea in a funny bottle. Something called SNAPPLE. Rush Loved it. Radio advertising would never be the same.
Rush went on-air raving about “this SNAPPLE stuff”. For several weeks –“SNAPPLE This – SNAPPLE That”. SNAPPLE was jumping off shelves in delis and groceries across Greater NYC.
It came from a small beverage company on Long Island a/k/a “The Snapple Guys” – Leonard, Hyman and Arnold. They were getting calls from “all across the fruited plain” from distributors demanding the stuff. … generated by “a harmless little fuzzball” on the radio. A formal ad campaign was quickly signed.
Long story short: SNAPPLE became the first of many loyal sponsors to benefit enormously from a Rush endorsement. SNAPPLE went national w/ sales thru the roof. “The Snapple guys” sold out for mega-bucks.
When Quaker Oats bought it their wizards of smarts were concerned “Rush Limbaugh” was too controversial discontinuing the association. Sales flattened. SNAPPLE is still around.
When you see a SNAPPLE bottle today – do you think of Rush! I do.
Then there was the ESPN / NFL Fiasco … for another day. …
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