40th Birthday for Sesame Street Highlights Iconic Branding

by lisa ~ November 9, 2009

Nov. 9, 2009 - Betting on excellent branding that encompasses vibrant colors, catchy tunes, funny characters, and repetitive lessons, children’s show Sesame Street turns 40 this week. To appreciate the enormity of the changes in the U.S. alone, consider this: With a racially diverse cast that initially shocked some Americans, the set will be visited by First Lady Michelle Obama, who grew up with the TV program herself, tomorrow.

Calling it a “messianic show,” The New York Times characterized it this way: “‘Sesame Street’ took its breezy magazine format and sock-it-to-me comic style from ‘Laugh-In,’ but its commitment to ‘relevance,’ in the parlance of the times, was in tune with the most serious social issues of the era.”

The longest-running children’s TV show in the U.S., Sesame Street is known by parents for its extensive licensing and merchandising ranging from the ice-skating show Sesame Street on Ice to the wildly popular Tickle Me Elmo doll, which is being reintroduced by Toys R Us for this holiday season, according to USA Today.

This nostalgia on the part of grown-ups and ongoing delight on the part of children signifies a critical branding issue: The values for which the program stands have been plainly identified and clearly communicated from the beginning. Unlike many consumer brands, Sesame Street’s producers have consistently upheld these values since Nov. 10, 1969. As The Press of Atlantic City, N.J. phrased it: “[W]hile the ‘Sesame Street’ brand has evolved over that time, its wholesome values and effective educational tools are as relevant as ever.”

At this point, the show has seeped into Americans’ consciousness. In honor of Sesame Street’s anniversary, Google has been integrating various characters into its logo for six days now, says The Examiner. That’s the kind of goodwill that few other consumer properties could hope to obtain.

Lisa Tibbitts is the principal of Tibbitts Creative, a public relations and marketing service that emphasizes corporate communications. She has an extensive background in financial services and an MBA in marketing. Follow her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FinancialPR.

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