The 1982 film ET prominently featured Reese's Pieces Candy (ET's favorite treat). I guess Reese's couldn't get ET for their ads, so they came up with this alien character as a substitute. In the commercials, this character was portrayed with a puppet and an actor in a costume, just like ET was.I thought ET was much cuter and more appealing than this creature.
As a kid, I had a stuffed ET that I loved and I was so excited to get it for Christmas. He was stored in the attic years later, and when I found him again, his leather-like skin had cracked off the plush body and peeled away. So if you have an ET doll in your attic, he may have shed his skin!
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That's pretty skeazy that Amblin/Universal would use Reese's prominently in the movie and then refuse to license the character in return.
ReplyDeleteI remember those leather/vinyl E.T. dolls, but I had forgotten about the Reese's Pieces ads with the alien. I just finished watching a couple of them on YouTube...gee, those were the days!
ReplyDeletePeyton: Yes, I think ET might still be a popular character now if he had been the official mascot of Reese's Pieces. Missed Golden Opportunity!!
ReplyDeleteTokyoMagic!: I didn't even think to look on YouTube for these commercials. Gotta check those out!
That thing actually predates ET. I saw it in a comic ad from 1973 (I collect old comics)
ReplyDeleteWhoa! I had no idea!
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