Jim Henson is best known for his groundbreaking work in puppetry, the creation of The Muppets, and his revolutionary contributions to children’s television and filmmaking. However, before Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock, Henson’s career began in an unexpected place—television commercials. His early work in advertising played a crucial role in shaping his unique puppetry style, introducing the world to his talent, and laying the foundation for the Muppet empire that would follow.
A Young Visionary’s Introduction to Puppetry
Jim Henson’s journey into television began in the 1950s while he was still a student at the University of Maryland, College Park. He had a passion for art, film, and puppetry but originally had no intentions of becoming a professional puppeteer. That changed when he was offered a chance to create puppet segments for a local Washington, D.C. television station, WTOP-TV.
At just 18 years old, Henson was given a spot on The Junior Morning Show, where he first experimented with puppetry on television. Although this show was short-lived, it gave him his first taste of television production. Shortly after, in 1955, Henson developed Sam and Friends, a five-minute puppet show that aired on WRC-TV, an NBC affiliate in Washington, D.C. Sam and Friends was a major breakthrough, not only showcasing Henson’s innovative puppet designs but also introducing an early version of Kermit the Frog. The success of Sam and Friends led to another opportunity—creating commercials.
The Birth of Muppets in Advertising
In the 1950s and early 1960s, television was becoming the dominant medium for advertising. Companies sought new and entertaining ways to capture the audience’s attention, and Henson’s unique brand of puppetry fit perfectly into this evolving industry. His characters were funny, expressive, and—most importantly—memorable.
One of Henson’s first and most famous commercial projects was for Wilkins Coffee, a Washington, D.C.-based coffee brand. The Wilkins Coffee commercials, produced between 1957 and 1961, were only about 10 seconds long but packed a comedic punch. Each spot featured two puppet characters—Wilkins, an enthusiastic coffee lover, and Wontkins, a grumpy coffee hater. The gag was simple: every time Wontkins refused to drink Wilkins Coffee, he would meet a humorous and often violent fate—being shot from a cannon, electrocuted, or flattened by a hammer.
These commercials were groundbreaking for several reasons:
- They relied on humor and slapstick violence to make their point, an unusual approach at the time.
- They were incredibly short, proving that Henson understood how to engage an audience in mere seconds.
- The puppets had distinct personalities, making them more engaging and relatable to viewers.
The Wilkins Coffee campaign was wildly successful, leading to similar ads for other regional coffee brands across the country. Companies recognized Henson’s ability to create engaging, humorous, and persuasive content, and soon he was producing commercials for various products.
Expanding into Other Brands and Markets
Following the success of the Wilkins Coffee campaign, Henson’s puppetry was in high demand. Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, he created commercials for a variety of brands, including:
- Kraml Milk – Using the same comedic style as the Wilkins Coffee ads, these commercials featured puppets humorously promoting milk.
- La Choy Chinese Food – Henson designed the La Choy Dragon, a large, fire-breathing puppet that delivered the slogan: “La Choy makes Chinese food swing American!”
- Pak-Nit Laundry Detergent – Featuring playful puppet antics to emphasize the power of clean clothes.
- Wilson’s Meats – A series of quirky ads featuring talking meat products.
Each commercial bore Henson’s signature style—clever dialogue, expressive puppets, and rapid-fire humor. These ads not only entertained audiences but also demonstrated Henson’s growing talent for character development and storytelling.
The Technological Innovations of Henson’s Commercials
Henson was not content with traditional puppetry techniques. During his commercial work, he experimented with new approaches that would later define The Muppets:
- Rod Puppetry for More Expression – Unlike traditional marionettes, which relied on strings, Henson’s puppets used rods, allowing for more expressive and fluid movement.
- Lip-Syncing to Pre-Recorded Tracks – Instead of puppeteers speaking live, Henson pre-recorded dialogue and perfectly timed the puppet movements, creating a more polished and professional look.
- Combining Puppetry with Animation and Special Effects – Some of his early commercials integrated animation or creative camera techniques, foreshadowing the visual effects he would use in later Muppet productions.
Transitioning from Commercials to Entertainment
While Henson’s advertising work was lucrative and creatively fulfilling, he was eager to expand beyond commercials. His talent had already been recognized in the industry, and he soon found opportunities in network television.
By the early 1960s, Henson began producing puppet segments for variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. These appearances helped Henson showcase his puppetry to a national audience and move away from advertising.
In 1969, his big break came when he was invited to collaborate on a new educational children’s program—Sesame Street. The show’s producers recognized Henson’s ability to create lovable, engaging characters, and the result was the introduction of some of the most beloved Muppets, including Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Cookie Monster.
Legacy of Henson’s Commercial Work
Although Jim Henson moved on from commercial work, his early years in advertising played a crucial role in shaping his career. The fast-paced, humorous, and visually engaging style that he developed in those 10-second coffee ads remained a core element of The Muppets’ charm.
Many of the techniques he pioneered—expressive puppet movement, comedic timing, and character-driven storytelling—became essential elements of his later work. Even after he achieved worldwide fame, Henson occasionally returned to commercials, producing memorable campaigns like the 1980s McDonald’s ads featuring The Muppets.
Conclusion
Jim Henson’s journey into puppetry began with something as simple as a coffee commercial, yet that experience laid the foundation for an empire. His ability to create characters with personality, his innovative puppetry techniques, and his sense of humor all originated in his early advertising work. Without those short, quirky commercials, we might never have seen the full brilliance of Henson’s creativity come to life in The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, and beyond.
His early commercials remain a testament to his ingenuity and serve as an important chapter in the history of television advertising and puppetry. They remind us that great artistry can emerge from the most unexpected places—even a 10-second ad for coffee.
