Which 1986 campaign used animated singing California Raisins to promote the California raisin industry?

The California Raisins campaign used animated clay figures singing to promote California raisins beginning in 1986.

The campaign was created for the California Raisin Advisory Board by the advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding. Its signature performance was a stop-motion version of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” with anthropomorphic raisins dancing and singing as if they were pop stars.

The characters became popular beyond the original agricultural advertising. They appeared in television specials, merchandise and recordings, and the California Raisins became a successful licensed entertainment property. Their popularity showed that a commodity campaign could create memorable characters rather than simply list nutritional or product benefits.

The campaign is sometimes mistaken for an advertisement for Sun-Maid, a separate raisin brand. The California Raisins promoted raisins from the state’s raisin industry collectively, while Sun-Maid used its own brand identity and mascot.