Hanna-Barbera Sales Advertisements Throughout the Years

 With how much airtime the Hanna-Barbera library has gotten through Cartoon Network, Boomerang, and now MeTV Toons over the last few decades, it's easy to forget that there was a time when these shows were made for the major networks, like ABC and CBS. But it wasn't necessarily easier. They still had to get said networks to buy the shows, and one way they could do that was through sales ads. Often appearing in trade magazines, these advertisements showed off Hanna-Barbera's offerings for a particular TV season, enticing networks to give them a call and pick up the shows. Here are a few of these ads, ranging from the mid-sixties to the early nineties. 

This first one appears to be from 1964, as it advertises the two newest additions to the Hanna-Barbera family, Magilla Gorilla and Peter Potamus. It also references the collaboration between Ideal Toys that helped bring both of these shows to life.

This second one comes from 1977, and must've appeared in trades from around February, as it sports a Valentine's Day theme. The ad combines classic characters like Yogi and Penelope Pitstop, with some of their later efforts, like everyone's favorite, the Funky Phantom. 

Hanna-Barbera really liked to experiment with their trade ads around this time. This one from 1979 features the characters as pieces to an ice cream sundae. I'll have two scoops of Top Cat, please!

Unfortunately, it seems that they seemed to go back to a more generic approach for these ads as the eighties came around. This ad from '84 simply has a lineup of their major characters, promising that they'll wake up the kids this fall. Seems a bit ominous if you ask me!

1989's ad shows off four of Hanna-Barbera's most successful shows of the time, while bragging about being the best in the business. While there's nothing wrong with some confidence, I think you and I both know that was not the case by this point.

The last one I could find was from 1991 and man...I don't like to get negative on here, but this is one dire lineup. Not all of these shows I necessarily find bad, but none of them even come close to a lot of the ones seen in earlier ads. It's honestly not a surprise Great America had so much trouble finding a new owner for the company when they sold it that year.