The Beverly Hillbillies theme song once had extra verses to promote cereal and cigarettes

What rhymes with "Kellogg's"?

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"Come listen to a story 'bout a man named Jed…." You know how the tune goes. The Beverly Hillbillies theme song was a No. 1 country hit, after all. The folksy bluegrass ditty told how Jed Clampett became a millionaire. However, not everyone is lucky enough to find oil while shooting at animals in the backyard. Some people have to make millions the old-fashioned way — collecting cash from corporate sponsors.

In the early days of television, if you didn't have a corporate sponsor, you didn't have a show. Even Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz unsuccessfully shopped I Love Lucy around to several advertising agencies before Philip Morris finally gave in and agreed to help finance the sitcom.

Big Tobacco was a major backer of TV sitcoms. Even The Flintstones showed Fred and Barney puffing Winston cigarettes to promote the smokes. The same brand worked its way into another family favorite, The Beverly Hillbillies. That banjo-pickin' theme song original featured an extra verse about the cigarettes, as the Clampett rambled past a Winston truck in their 1921 Oldsmobile.

Come along and visit with the Clampett family
As they take you to their mansion in the hills of Beverly
And when they do, you'll run into
A friend of theirs you've met
That good ol' friend with filtered blend
Winston cigarette!

The side of the semi truck is emblazed with an ad proclaiming, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette should." The Clampetts all wave at the big rig. 

What pairs better with tobacco than corn flakes? It was the breakfast of champions in 1962. So, naturally, an additional verse sang about Kellogg's cereal.

Now come along and visit with the Clampett family
As they learn the simple pleasures of the hills of Beverly
That includes the products of your sponsor of the week
The cereals of Kellogg's, Kellogg's of Battle Creek
K–E-double-L-O-double-good…
Kellogg's best to you

Perhaps the copywriter ran out of lyrics halfway through. In the clip, Jed and Jethro turn their heads to check out a Corn Flakes billboard along the road in Beverly Hills. Seems like the kind of thing that people in Beverly Hills would not particularly enjoy in front of their mansions, but, hey, you've got to pay the bills.


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34 Comments

ncadams27 14 months ago
At the very end of the opening credits you can see Jed pointing to his right. This is where the truck/billboard would then appear. I remember them working a commercial into the show where Granny and Jed would comment on Jethro eating a bowl of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, but I don’t remember any featuring Winston cigarettes - although I remember the one on The Flintstones.
cperrynaples 14 months ago
No you stupid idiots, Wheaties is the "Breakfast of Champions"...LOL!
LoveMETV22 cperrynaples 14 months ago
Looks like they were using irony in that sentence, ( just didn't translate that way). Perhaps the reference was meant about the alternating sponsorship by Winston and Kellogg's, not Wheaties slogan?
cperrynaples LoveMETV22 14 months ago
Yes I knew that but yes that is the Wheaties slogan!
cperrynaples cperrynaples 14 months ago
PS According to John Belushi on SNL, doughnuts are the "breakfast of champions"! And I'm sure Toony agrees with him...LOL!
Pacificsun LoveMETV22 14 months ago
Exactly! Thank you!!
cperrynaples 14 months ago
Fun Fact: There is an alternative Kellogg's jingle: "Corniest flakes anybody makes...Kellogg's!" Jed even appears on the billboard! I'm sure Andy Griffith wouldn't like THAT one...LOL! Anybody get this reference?
Mike cperrynaples 14 months ago
The "corniest flakes" line comes from a string of Kellogg's Corn Flakes spots that featured the comedy singers Homer and Jethro.
H&J would appear in a vaudeville setting, doing the oldest jokes around, with the cry "Ooh - that's corny!" - "Corny as Kellogg's Corn Flakes!"
Later on, they did another set of spots, "Cornfucius Say!": same old gags with an Asian motif - "Corny as Kerrogg's Corn Frakes!"
I guess you had to be there ...
cperrynaples Mike 14 months ago
Well, they'd never get that last one past the culture police now...LOL!
AnnaRentzVandenhazel 14 months ago
"Winston tastes good like a cigarette should."

I was born in 1963 and no one in our household smoked, but before I ever heard the slogan with the brand name, my dad incorporated it into regular conversation. One of us kids would balk at eating something we didn't like, and Dad would say "it tastes good, like a cigarette should!" Didn't make alot of sense to small children, and I doubt he wanted us to take up smoking, he just liked the rhyme.
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Pacificsun cperrynaples 14 months ago
Additional point to "social acceptance." Parents sent me down to the neighborhood grocery story to buy a CARTON of cigarettes! No note, no nothing. Though they knew our family. They were unbelievably inexpensive!
cperrynaples Pacificsun 14 months ago
Well, no one answered my question so i'll spill the tea! Granny said, "Winston tastes good like a cigarette OUGHTA!" Guess Granny didn't realize it was a song...LOL!
cperrynaples Pacificsun 14 months ago
Would you believe my oldest sister sent me to the store for cigarrettes? I wish she hadn't: 50 years of smoking gave her COPD, and it killed her! I still think of her every day!
Runeshaper 14 months ago
Never knew that. Thanks for sharing, MeTV!
Sway 14 months ago
https://youtu.be/Cx8XeGHMRto


LoveMETV22 14 months ago
Interesting story: Here are the two commercials mentioned in the article:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Beverly Hillbillies Original Theme Song with the extra verse added promoting Winston's:


The Beverly Hillbillies Theme Song with the added Kellogg's Commercial mentioned, (and a few extras).
Pacificsun LoveMETV22 14 months ago
Great find, LoveMETV22! Just a kid, and sure don't remember the sponsors being in the lyrics.

They might also have trimmed the lyrics to fit more into the running time, or to just allow for another commercial. Placement of that Billboard was outstanding! No wonder the company helped sponsor the Show!!
Mblack 14 months ago
I don't remember the extra lyrics, but I remember the Kellogg's billboard, and a voiceover.

Jethro often ate cereal.
cperrynaples Mblack 14 months ago
Well, in the last episode, he swallowed something he shouldn't! What did he eat and why did he eat it?
Coldnorth Mblack 14 months ago
With the product placement on the table, the box of corn flakes was not hard to miss
cperrynaples cperrynaples 14 months ago
Ok, i'll have to answer my own question! In the last episode, Jethro ate what he thought was Granny's grits but it was a bucket of cement Jed made! Just thinking about him going to the bathroom gives me the giglges...LOL!
Coldnorth cperrynaples 14 months ago
Maybe a little castor oil would have helped. Lol
pellinigroup 50 months ago
i LIKE THE REA SIGNAGE BETTER. RAILWAY EXPRESS AGENCY- FORERUNNER TO FEDEX.
justjeff pellinigroup 14 months ago
... and a forerunner, in some ways to UPS...
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