Promotional Items
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Carvel, Tom (Thomas Andreas Carvelas), 1906-
label: Collection Creator
content: Carvel Corporation.
setName: label: See more items in
content: Carvel Ice Cream Records
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1951-1986
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0488, Series 7
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Series 7: Promotional Items

Includes a variety of promotional materials for events dating from 1951-1986. Included are items such as coupons, sweepstakes, and contests; general correspondence about these promotional events; information on the Carvel comic book; inter-office and general correspondence regarding Tom Carvel's guest appearances on shows like "What's My Line" and the "David Letterman Show;" inter-office correspondence discussing the Carvel Corporation's commitment to advertising on television; and audiotape interviews with Tom Carvel.

The Carvel Corporation had both in-house and tie-in promotional events which it sponsored. The in-house events consisted of ice cream eating contests, "buy one get one free" offers, a happy birthday club, and a variety of sweepstakes with prizes ranging from a pony to a trip to Florida. The tie-ins included such events as a day with the New York Yankees and discount coupons for Walt Disney's "Great Ice Odyssey."

In July, 1966, Carvel Corporation formulated an initial concept for a comic book. It contained the general plot and gave sample drawings of a superhero-type figure, along with a villain and a flying saucer. The comic books in this series date from 1973 to1975.

In May, 1971, Carvel began advertising on television in the New York - New Jersey - Connecticut area. General correspondence was sent to the franchise owners explaining the costs and objectives, and how they could promote their individual stores in conjunction with this new advertising campaign. After the advertising campaign started, Carvel released a memo stating that sales had increased as a direct result of television advertising.

Two audiotapes of radio interviews with Tom Carvel from 1983 are included in this series. They are important because they give researchers an opportunity to hear Tom Carvel's voice, a key element in the success of his commercials.