Keeter Valdick and Ben Snead, owners of Ben and Keeter's Puppets, perform for the Augusta Advertising Federation at the Partridge Inn. The business hopes to land a contract. JENIFER BRUNO/STAFF

CSRA puppet makers aim for TV ads

Local entrepreneurs try to capitalize on one sock's success as company spokesman

Web posted March 4, 2000

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By Heidi Coryell
Staff Writer

They're cute. They're catchy. Sometimes they're even a little risque.

They're puppets, and a handful of them spent this week networking with area business officials, drumming up business both for the people beneath the fabric-covered hands and for the companies they hope to one day represent.

It may be a long shot, say Augusta puppeteers Ben Snead and Keeter Valdick, but the runaway popularity of a particular Internet company's sock puppet advertisements made them think about a new way to expand their 3-year-old business, Ben & Keeter's Puppets.

``We thought we could show advertisers how our puppets could be used for commercials,'' Mr. Snead said.

These days the nameless puppet that appears in Pets.com commercials seems to be stealing the limelight from longtime popular icons such as the Chick-Fil-A cows and Ronald McDonald. And the overnight success of Pets.com's floppy-eared, googly-eyed mascot could bode well for the future of yet undiscovered puppets, such as those of Ben & Keeter's, lurking in the wings of commercial success.

Mr. Snead and Ms. Valdick presented some of their self-made puppet pals to local advertisers at a meeting of the Augusta Advertising Federation on Thursday. Whooshing wizards, neon turtles, fluffy bunnies and some pink-haired dollies are just a few of the characters who made appearances before the marketing officials.

Ben & Keeter's Puppets has performed mostly for schools, festivals and party events. Their puppets are often used to convey messages to children in a memorable way. For instance, a puppet show about fire safety is both entertaining and educational, they said.

But advertisers strive for similar results with television commercials, industry officials say. A memorable commercial is an effective commercial.

What is it, then, that's so darn appealing and memorable about that googly-eyed sock dog from Pets.com?

``The dog throws out barbs, not really insults, but things a person can't get away with,'' Mr. Snead said. That makes it both lovable and funny, two things that bode well for any branding device.

``Different devices are used to establish rapport with the audience,'' said Marjorie Valin, vice president of communications for the American Advertising Federation, a national trade group for industry professionals.

``Humor is one; pets are another; kids are another -- they're universal aspects of society and culture that are feel-good in nature,'' Ms. Valin said. ``Advertisers want to associate their products with situations and devices that allow them to make a connection with the audience.''

And the Pets.com puppet has tapped into that universal affection, she said.

Other puppets that have had more than their 15 minutes of fame include Conan O'Brien's Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, whose response to most any situation, political or otherwise, is ``for me to poop on,'' and Jim Henson's Muppets, especially Kermit the Frog and his flamboyant friend, Miss Piggy.

Muppet products, including the Tickle Me Elmo doll, continue to trigger buying frenzies at stores across the nation. And last month a German entertainment company bought The Jim Henson Co. for $680 million.

Ben & Keeter's puppets generally sell for hundreds of dollars, not millions, but they're optimistic about the future of their business.

``We're the only puppets in the CSRA,'' Ms. Valdick said. ``Most of it will be getting puppets where the people are and showing them what they can do.''

Reach :Heidi Coryell at (706) 823-3215.