Muppets wrap up new MasterCard commercial for November debut [Archive]

Phillip Chapman

11-02-2002, 10:04 AM

The Henson crew recently filmed a new commercial for MasterCard. Brian Henson directed. Here's all the details and some sneak peak photos from the set...

http://www.muppetcentral.com/news/2002/110102.shtml

I was told the commercial would begin airing nationwide on most channels November 15 on network TV, but that some cable channels are airing it sooner. Keep an eye out for it!

Let us know what you think of the commercial!

Luke

11-02-2002, 10:20 AM

It looks great, and very well done - this is the one Quinn mentioned that the Muppets were being prepped for on his WWTBAM trip !

kansasteen14

11-02-2002, 11:09 PM

I wanna see this it said it has Rowlf which is great.

Zack the Dog

11-02-2002, 11:50 PM

Wow! Awsome news Phil! This is great! what a great cast of muppets too! ROWLF! even foo foo, and rizzo wasn't left out either like how he didn't get a nascar before.

i wonder how long the ad runs, like minute and/or second wise.

look how much muppet stuff has come out this year! Its hard to keep track first they are racing nascars(not really racing) Then doing a music video with Weezer, then denny ads and now mastercard! What's next? We can only hope this continues thought the next year it will help the christmas movie and the sales of TMS DVD's, action figs, busts, the new muppet show and more!

Rowlf your back!your really back! We missed you!

Zack) Rowlf the, we are getting the muppets! The real muppets now! Dog.

frogboy4

11-03-2002, 12:49 AM

Wow! So many Muppets in a commercial! Looks like Rowlf is back in a big way! This is the type of up-scale commercial that is worthy of the Muppets.

murgatoad

11-03-2002, 09:21 AM

I hope that Piggy puppet shown in the article isn't the one they used for the commercial. Bad hair. The face looks like a pink blob. Isn't there anyone at Henson Inc. these days that can make a good Piggy puppet?

Foreignman

11-03-2002, 01:31 PM

I saw the comercial on November 1st, totally caught me off guard because Muppet Central hadn't even run the story when I saw it. Anyway, the commercial is really great, funny and very well shot. Murgatoad, Piggy looks great in the commercial, actually, all the Muppets do. Can't wait to see it again.

Ryan

11-03-2002, 09:43 PM

I just saw it twice while watching (:o ) The Anna Nicole show. It is so cool. Much more than I expected. However, Fozzie and Animals voices are really pretty off. Oh well, still an awesome ad!

EmmyMik

11-03-2002, 10:45 PM

I saw it while I was watching "American Dreams" on NBC. I can't really comment on the commercial, because I just had some coffee type thing that had a lot of caffeine in it. Muppets + caffeine does not equal a calm Emmy, I shall tell you.

Stryder Wolfe

11-04-2002, 08:54 AM

which muppets speak in the commercial???

petrieboy

11-04-2002, 08:59 AM

I just saw it during the Today show. This little commercial captures what has been missing from the Muppets in the last decade. It all made it very clear to me. The Muppets work best when they are going about their real lives, in the real world. No more fantasies involving space or story classics please... put the Muppets out to deal with reality. Walking on the street of New York... dining in a restaurant... riding in the taxi cab... and the beautiful filming of it all... if they could capture the hint of magic they showed here in a full length feature film, with Academy Award caliber, original songs (Maybe they can call on Alan Menken from Little Shop of Horrors)... they will be back on top with a huge hit.

Drtooth

11-04-2002, 11:29 AM

Now this I HAVE to see! Hope it's on during Raymond tonight!

tomahawk

11-04-2002, 05:13 PM

just saw it today. it is a great slice of muppet heaven! fozzie and animal don't sound bad at all.

frogboy4

11-04-2002, 05:31 PM

What about Scooter and Janice? Just want to know if they talk, have substncial parts and how they sound.

Walker Boh

11-04-2002, 05:31 PM

I saw it last night. Good stuff!

murgatoad

11-04-2002, 08:10 PM

Just saw a short version (I guess). Before "Raymond".

*shrug*

tomahawk

11-05-2002, 03:18 AM

no scooter or janice that i saw.

frogboy4

11-05-2002, 03:52 AM

Oops! Mixed up the threads. I meant to post that in the Christmas thread.

Daffyfan2003

11-05-2002, 05:49 AM

I need sort of a hint here. I know it's only airing on cable channels from now until the 15th, but I don't know which channels I should be watching in order to find it. I guess I should watch something with Mastercard as its sponsor. This is something that makes me disappointed the World Series is over. They probably would have aired it then if it wasn't still in the process of filming.

Phillip Chapman

11-05-2002, 07:36 AM

People have reported seeing it on VH1 and also Lifetime (the longer version). Apparently, some national stations have already started showing it as well, as it's been seen on NBC during the Today Show and on CBS before Everybody Loves Raymond. It is scheduled to run through Christmas so keep your eyes open for it. May not be a bad idea to put a tape in for a couple hours and check it later.

Skeeter Muppet

11-05-2002, 09:14 AM

Originally posted by frogboy4
What about Scooter and Janice? Just want to know if they talk, have substncial parts and how they sound.

I don't think they're even in the commercial. They weren't in the Muppets listed in the article.

-Kim

Daffyfan2003

11-05-2002, 12:29 PM

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll watch the tube for awhile tonight and see if I can catch it. Is there any chance it will be on Nick at Nite? I usually watch "The Cosby Show" in the evening so that's why I'm wondering.

Drtooth

11-05-2002, 01:28 PM

I was right! It was on during Raymond. I was so excited I actually waited until AFTER the commercials to go to the bath room! Ha Ha!

SO there are two versions of this, and one is longer. I had that suspicion when Pepe the King Prawn okay didn't speak. If there is a longer version, I want to see it!

I thought that the Fozzie and Animal were close approximations. FOzzie was slightly lower in pitch than his old performer, but I was glad to see him and not just Kermit and Piggy talking.

Rowlf was with the group, thankfully, happily playing the piano!

I wonder...Sam the Eagle went to see the Producers and all....I have heard the songs from it and believe me, there is stuff his conservative, censorminded mind would object to!

Daffyfan2003

11-05-2002, 07:41 PM

*sigh* Nobody answered my question, so I guess it WON'T be shown on Nick at Nite. I've already been doing some channel surfing tonight to see if I could catch it. So far it seems like I'm the only one here who hasn't seen it. :(

AruggeRadio

11-10-2002, 11:16 AM

I saw the ad last night during SNL here in the Twin Cities, it was very good. Here is another note that I’m not sure has been brought up yet but another Muppet landmark makes an appearance in a Master Card Commercial. There is another ad that has been playing for a few months were a man who has his own business gets out early to take his daughter and her friends to an Nsync like boy band concert. Well the arena they use is the Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica CA, the site of MuppetFest 2000. So next time you see that ad pay close attention.

Chilly Down

11-10-2002, 04:04 PM

Nice catch, Arugge! I'll have to keep my eyes open for that

Daffyfan: No one answered your question about Nick at Nite because no one knows when or where commercials will air, except for the broadcasters who sell the ad time itself. It may air on Nick at Nite, but it's a high-profile ad so it'll very likely air on big network shows. I saw it on NBC's Must-See Thursday this past week.

Personally, I loved the commercial. A lot of Muppet regulars, out in the real world (New York, no less, one of their favorite haunts). Plus, the commercial just looked more professional than most of the recent ads they've done. Hats off to Brian; he's such an underrrated director. I'm glad to see that his step down from the CEO position doesn't mean he's given up on the creative side of Muppetdom.

Phillip Chapman

11-10-2002, 09:21 PM

Tom,

I totally agree. Brian directs Muppet projects very well and it's great to see him have an opportunity to shine with this fantastic commercial, especially in light of him stepping down as chairman in May and the Farscape cancellation. Wonderful to see his involvement continue.

He has a unique vision of the Muppets on screen, especially during production numbers like "Scrooge" or "Sailing for Adventure".

Natalie

11-10-2002, 09:52 PM

I just saw the comercial tonight, but my sister was yelling "here it is!" and so i missed all the talking, and it was on our little black and white tv in the kitchen, so not good. But anyway, it looked funny, and i can't wait to see it again. (It was on CBS, i think, in the middle of the Bear's game)

C'irdan

11-11-2002, 04:46 PM

I saw this during SNL this weekend and I LOVED IT! Does anyone know if there are different versions though? Because foo-foo was no where to be seen and the commercial seemed very short...luckily I taped it! I feel stupid asking this...but who exactly is foo-foo? Isn't that Miss Piggy's dog? And who does the voice?

Zack the Dog

11-11-2002, 05:14 PM

yes Foo Foo is Miss Piggy little white fluffy dog, if you have seen Kermits Swamp years, it's that same little white dog in the pet shop during the life as a pet song.

I'm not sure who does the voice, but Foo Foo doesn't speek just dog barking noise's. i want to say Steve for some reason...i'm not sure.

Chilly Down

11-11-2002, 06:58 PM

C'irdan

11-11-2002, 07:27 PM

Yeah...ok. It must have been a shorter commercial. Thanks guys.

Zack the Dog

11-11-2002, 10:05 PM

C'ridian: Steve Whitmire (who also play Rizzo the Rat and, since Jim's death, Kermit the Frog) does indeed play Foo-Foo, Miss Piggy's dog. It was his first semi-main character in the core Muppet group. If Kermit was in the scene with Foo-Foo, though, Foo-Foo was probably handed off to one of the other puppeteers. I'm not sure myself, because the commercial does go by awfully fast, so I'll have to see it a few more times before I catch him.

Thank's CD! Oh i just had this gut feeling i read it was steve who did foo foo, and it just stuck in my brain.

"(OK, so when did I start saying "Correct-amundo"? What am I, the Fonz?)"

Wait don't you mean to say Fozzie, Oh no! I'm sorry you really are talking about the Fonz from Happy Days and not the muppets;-)

I Just saw two versions of the commercial, and there has got to be more then two.

it was during the CBS line up this Monday night, i saw a longer one but in wich Pepe and gonzo have no lines, and foo foo wasn't there, i can't remember if i saw sam or not. Fozzie new voice is starting to grow on me thought, the ad ends with the muppetys in the taxi and animal yells to the driver ''drive fast!!"

then later i saw a really short one with it starting with just kermit and piggy then gonzo burst in between them holding a fishing pole with rizzo on the other end yelling "no wait gonzo! i changed my mind! i changed my mind!!!!" then gonzo throw's him over bourd and you hear a splash! it was pretty funny, i hope to see the longer one, i wonder how many there are in all?

i was hoping for a more close up with rowlf at the piano but he was with a bunch of the gang, which is good also, but i thought it was just him alone in the scene.

Phillip Chapman

11-12-2002, 11:59 AM

For those who haven't seen it yet MSNBC has one of the MasterCard commercials on-line...

http://www.msnbc.com/news/829186.asp

Stryder Wolfe

11-12-2002, 12:30 PM

cool! Thanks Phillip!

Drtooth

11-12-2002, 01:13 PM

Did anyone see the really short version in which Gonzo fishes and uses Rizzo as bait?

Zack the Dog

11-12-2002, 02:50 PM

Did anyone see the really short version in which Gonzo fishes and uses Rizzo as bait?

yep, sroll up a bit, that was pretty funny! and thanks for posting that phil!

C'irdan

11-12-2002, 05:50 PM

ack! I must tape random television in hopes that I will get the versions! Oh...I saw the regular one on MSNBC and that one doesn't have Foofoo does it?

Chad Kermit

11-14-2002, 08:51 AM

I caught one of the comercials last night during West Wing. Have to say it was nice to see the characters all together. It is by far the most action packed Master Card comercial of this series. My favorite line is when Kermit and the gang are outside the Producers and Rizzo asks something like, "This isn't the one with the cats." Nice to see the Muppets in some form kicking around on Prime Time TV.

Fozzie Bear

11-14-2002, 11:57 AM

I saw one, and it was really cool.

All my friends even shut up to watch.

Cool, huh?

FOZ

Daffyfan2003

11-15-2002, 06:19 PM

For those who haven't seen it yet MSNBC has one of the MasterCard commercials on-line...

Thanks, Phil. If it works on my computer, I'll have to remember to give you a big hug. Lol.

Daffyfan2003

11-15-2002, 06:26 PM

Yep. I got it. Thanks again, Phil. That must have been the shorter version. The only voices I heard were Piggy's and Fozzie's. As for Eric's Fozzie, it wasn't too bad, just a tad deeper than Frank's. I didn't catch Rowlf or Rizzo or anyone unless they were seen in the background. Anyway, I really enjoyed that.

EmmyMik

11-16-2002, 02:17 AM

Yesterday, my friends and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie. As the lights dimmed and people settled down, we knew the previews and so on were about to begin. But did we see a boy wizard? No. Instead there were Muppets. Some commercials were shown before the previews, and the first commercial was the Muppet MasterCard commercial. Now this made me rather excited. I could not contain myself. "BOOD!" I yelled ("bood" is a good thing) in a crowded theater. I don't think that mattered much. Anyway, there was a good amount of laughter for Animal's "Drive fast! Drive fast!"

Ah. Muppety goodness...

:D

Phillip Chapman

11-16-2002, 08:28 AM

Emmy thanks for the news. The commercial was scheduled to begin appearing in some theaters on November 15th, so it's great that someone saw it on the first night!

Hopefully it will air once or twice during the NBC Christmas movie in two weeks.

Foreignman

11-17-2002, 08:49 PM

I saw a totally new one today which features Piggy and Kermit on a Ferry and while they're talking Gonzo goes fishing using Rizzo as bait. I wasn't paying attention at all because I was thinking it was the regular Mastercard commercial, and it only occured to me about five seconds before it was over that I was watching new material!! Can't wait to see this again, anybody else see this one yet?

Zack the Dog

11-17-2002, 09:01 PM

yes, i have seen it a few times, i actualy saw them both for the first time last monday on CBS.

Zack)Rowlf the,Dog

Luke

11-17-2002, 09:05 PM

Could anyone stick the lot of these online for people ? I'll host them and provide the bandwidth if anyone wants it.

Zack the Dog

11-17-2002, 11:00 PM

I'd like to be able to see the one with Foo Foo, and the scene that's pictured on the MC website.

so far i think there are three all together but one is shorter then the other then there is the gonzo one with rizzo on the fishing pole.(kermit and piggy are also in it)

Zack)Dog

...what?! oh, i was being lazy...

Gonzo14

11-19-2002, 05:08 PM

steve is the voice of Foo Foo

I have heard that there are 3 versions, i've seen the long one, and the short one where gonzo throws rizzo into the water, but what's the third one (and I still don't see foo foo in any of them)

Foreignman

11-19-2002, 06:06 PM

Originally posted by Gonzo14
steve is the voice of Foo Foo

I have heard that there are 3 versions, i've seen the long one, and the short one where gonzo throws rizzo into the water, but what's the third one (and I still don't see foo foo in any of them)

There's a longer and shorter version of the one with them going to The Producers, and Animal yelling "DRIVE FAST!". The third commercial is the Rizzo and Gonzo fishing one.

EmmyMik

11-19-2002, 10:51 PM

Originally posted by Foreignman
There's a longer and shorter version of the one with them going to The Producers, and Animal yelling "DRIVE FAST!". The third commercial is the Rizzo and Gonzo fishing one.

The Rizzo and Gonzo one is pretty funny. I saw it the other night when I was watching "Entertainment Tonight" (I think that's what I was watching. I can't remember)...

Stryder Wolfe

11-21-2002, 08:32 AM

still haven't seen these on TV...

Fozzie Bear

11-21-2002, 09:13 AM

So far, I've only seen the one that says, "DRIVE FAST!" at the end.

I like the new Fozzie voice, sounds like the original Fozzie Bear! Not like Fozzie today.

FOZ

Zack the Dog

11-21-2002, 12:40 PM

Gee Kevin..." I don't think sooo"

LOL! just kidding! i actualy like the new voice a lot too! lets hope they can keep him in character now, which seem to be so far...from the little we have seen but It's a very Merry Muppet christmas movie will help!!!

Fozzie's new voice was first heard on some sport channle about eh nascar thing, in which was only less then 30 seconds, then fozzie was heard on the uk radio thing and now "i don't think sooo" on the mastercard ad.

Zack)Rowlf the, i forgot, what do i normaly type here?Dog.

Fozzie Bear

11-21-2002, 12:53 PM

Originally posted by Zack the Dog
Rowlf the, i forgot, what do i normaly type here?Dog.

Gee, I don't think I knoooooww! :)

Hey, Rowlf, new role play at fun-n-games section!!

FOZ

viking99g

12-10-2002, 11:15 AM

I don't know much about this fellow who is possibly buying the Muppets, but I most definately DO NOT want Disney to get ahold of them. If the Disney corporation were to get the Muppets, I think I would not buy or support the Muppets any more, as sad as that would make me. I destest the Disney corporation now. They used to be something special, like the Muppets still are. But now, Disney has branched out into too many questionable ventures, and are not keeping the family atmosphere and orientation that they once had. It is really sad, but I do not want there to be a cooperation between JHC and Disney in any way, shape, or form.