Wilkins Coffee Commercials
While Henson was making a place for himself in the puppet world throughout the ’60s with the creation of a successful live-action TV series, Sam and Friends — a pivotal work that started to transform the way we saw puppets (as expressive beings versus wooden objects) — he made a slew of commercials. The most famous of the bunch is for coffee company Wilkins, for which Henson developed an early Kermit puppet named Wilkins. His grumpy friend is amusingly dubbed Wontkins — who refuses to try the “rich … rich … double rich” cup of joe. In “retaliation,” Wilkins beats, shoots, drowns, stabs, and worse to get the puppet to submit to a taste. It’s darkly hilarious and was such a hit that coffee companies everywhere wanted a version of their own.
10 Surreal and Experimental Works by ‘Muppets’ Maestro Jim Henson
I LOVE THESE! Drink Wilkins Coffee or get murdered.
