Alka-Seltzer Documentation and Oral History Project
name: label: Creator
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
label: Manufacturer
content: Alka-Seltzer
label: Creator
content: Doyle Dane Bernbach.
label: Creator
content: Jack Tinker & Associates.
label: Names
content: Miles Laboratories, Inc.
label: Interviewee
content: Beals, Richard
label: Interviewee
content: Case, Eugene
label: Interviewee
content: Chaplin, Charles
label: Interviewer
content: Griffith, Barbara S., Dr.
label: Interviewee
content: Lawrence, Mary Wells
label: Names
content: Miles, Franklin, Dr.
place: label: Place
content: Elkhart (Ind.) -- 1950-1990
topic: label: Topic
content: advertising -- History -- 1950-1990
label: Topic
content: Pharmaceutical industry -- 1950-1990
label: Topic
content: Television advertising
label: Topic
content: Medicine
label: Topic
content: Broadcast advertising
label: Topic
content: Business -- History
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Collection donated by Miles Laboratories in 1988 and created by the Smithsonian Institution in 1986 and 1987.
creator: label: Creator
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
setName: label: See more items in
content: Alka-Seltzer Documentation and Oral History Project
abstract: label: Summary
content: The Alka-Seltzer Oral History and Documentation Project is a result of a one year effort supported, in part, by Miles Laboratories, Incorporated.  Twenty-four oral history interviews and a variety of related materials were gathered to document Alka- Seltzer advertising, primarily from the mid-1950s to the 1980s.  The project covers "Speedy" Alka-Seltzer, "Oh what a relief it is," "The Blahs," "Alka Seltzer on the rocks," and "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" campaigns
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: The Alka-Seltzer Oral History and Documentation Project is a result of a one year effort supported, in part, by Miles Laboratories, Incorporated  Twenty-four oral history interviews and a variety of related materials were gathered to document Alka- Seltzer advertising, primarily from the mid-1950s to the 1980s.  The project covers "Speedy" Alka-Seltzer, "Oh what a relief it is," "The Blahs," "Alka Seltzer on the rocks," and "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" campaigns.

Miles Laboratories, Incorporated, the maker of Alka-Seltzer, and Wade Advertising of Chicago established a light-hearted advertising approach with the iconic puppet "Speedy", which had a tablet for a body and a smaller one for a hat.  Speedy came to life through stop motion animation, a technique in which each of the puppet's movements was captured on a separate frame of film.  The voice of Richard Beals made "Speedy" a distinctive character.


"Speedy" was a mainstay of Alka Seltzer advertising until 1964, when Miles,Incorporated took the account to Jack Tinker & Partners in New York.  The agency's work for Alka-Seltzer embodied what came to be called advertising's "creative revolution," replacing the "talking heads" and "hard sell" of earlier advertising with humor, wit, and engaging storylines, even within the limits of a 30 second television spot.  In 1969, the Alka Seltzer account went to Doyle, Dane, Bernbach, an agency which changed the look of print advertising during the early years of the "creative revolution." In 1970, Alka-Seltzer moved agencies to Wells, Rich, Greene, where the product's advertising came under the direction of Mary Wells Lawrence.  Ms. Lawrence had worked on the Alka Seltzer account while at Tinker and continued Alka Seltzer's reputation for innovative and captivating work.  In 1984 they shifted to McCann Erickson.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 7 Cubic feet (17 boxes)
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1953-1987
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.0184
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Videotapes
label: Type
content: Audiocassettes
label: Type
content: Publications
label: Type
content: Commercials
label: Type
content: Motion pictures (visual works)
label: Type
content: Audiotapes
label: Type
content: Business records
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged in 8 series.

Series 1: Research Files, circa 1930-1986


Series 2: Interviewee Files, 1986-1987

Series 3: Oral Histories, 1986-1987

Subseries 3.1: Original Interviews

Subseries 3.2: Reference Cassettes

Subseries 3.3: Master Audio Tapes

Series 4: Miles Archives Materials, 1931-1980

Subseries 4.1: Marketing Research and Sales Data

Subseries 4.2: Alka-Seltzer Storyboards and History (Photocopies)

Subseries 4:3: Miles Advertising History and Oral History Program(photocopies)

Series 5: Company Publications, 1960-1986

Series 6: Photographs, circa 1950-1985


Series 7: Alka-Seltzer Posters, 1967-1986


Series 8: Audiovisual Materials

Subseries 8.1: Original Masters

Subseries 8.2: Reference Videos
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Stacy Flaherty and Mona Morris, 1988, revised by Mimi Minnick, archivist, 1991.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Videotapes
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiocassettes
label: Genre/Form
content: Publications -- Business
label: Genre/Form
content: Commercials
label: Genre/Form
content: Motion pictures (visual works) -- 20th century
label: Genre/Form
content: Audiotapes -- 1950-2000
label: Genre/Form
content: Business records -- 1950-2000
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: Oral histories with individuals associated with Alka-Seltzer and its advertising campaigns are at the core of the Alka-Seltzer Documenation and Oral History Project. Conducted by Smithsonian Institution staff, the oral histories primarily examine Alka-Seltzer's innovative and memorable print and television commercials. Abstracts exist for each interview.The collection also includes background information, archival materials from Miles Laboratories, Inc., television commercials, storyboards, and company publications.