Promoting…

It should come as no big surprise that well-known/popular celebrities can make a decent living promoting products.  Athletes, in particular, have often made more than their base salaries (nothing to sneeze at in the first place) by promoting drinks or foods or sneakers.  Likewise, actors have appeared in print and video commercials as well, sometimes at the start of their careers but also when their career is in full bloom or even past it.

Of all the “celebrities” out there who have joined the ranks of promoters of products, one of the more curious fields is that of the science fiction author.

While today most couldn’t pick out a science fiction author beyond their photograph in their latest novel, there was a time not so very long ago and when I was a much younger man when several big name sci-fi authors were well known enough by the public to be considered “celebrities”.  Arthur C. Clark.  Isaac Asimov.  Ray Bradbury.  Harlan Ellison.  All but the last author mentioned is gone now, sadly, but I recall a time when they were quite well known.

Because of this, it isn’t too surprising that product makers wound up seeking these celebrity authors and using them to as promotion tools.  Andrew Liptak at Gizmodo has done a fine job presenting an article which assembles copious Youtube links as well as promotional one sheets of these famous authors and it can be found here:

All the times Science Fiction Authors have shilled random products

My favorite has to be this one, though the idea of Ray Bradbury promoting Sunsweet Prunes is really bizarre.  Anyway, here’s Mr. Isaac Asimov promoting the mighty TRS-80 computer:

I remember the machine.  Thank goodness Radio Shack made sure it featured “color”!

Mr. Liptak amusingly notes that while Mr. Asimov touted the various computers and devices available from Radio Shack, he himself was known to write exclusively on a typewriter and therefore most likely didn’t care for the products he was touting.

Visiting the article was an interesting step into a (until now) forgotten part of my past and an amusing little time killer.  If you know these authors and weren’t aware of their promotional work, check the article out.  Its fun!