In 1957, Starbuck was a literary character, and instant and percolator coffee reigned supreme. Television advertising was then a new medium and sort of uncharted territory. One regional coffee company, Wilkins, hired a promising young puppeteer named Jim Henson to produce more than 150 short ads to air in the Washington, D.C. market. How do you get a marketing message across in eight seconds? The threat of violence.

These ads are great if you enjoy midcentury advertising, love the Muppets, or have just always wanted to see an early version of Kermit the Frog shoot someone in the face.

Jim Henson’s Wilkins Coffee Commercials [YouTube]
Wilkins Coffee [Muppet Wiki]

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