{"id":20102,"date":"2019-01-14T14:10:00","date_gmt":"2019-01-14T19:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/?p=20102"},"modified":"2026-09-18T14:13:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-18T18:13:16","slug":"how-tony-the-tiger-commercials-are-filmed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/how-tony-the-tiger-commercials-are-filmed\/20102\/","title":{"rendered":"How Tony The Tiger Commercials Are Filmed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Heather Taylor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For seven years, Larry Moon worked as a Kellogg\u2019s group TV producer at Leo Burnett. Moon had the privilege of working on the Frosted Flakes account with the iconic Tony the Tiger<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This \u201cGr-r-reat!\u201d duo brought some of Tony\u2019s most iconic, and active, commercials to life. Ever wonder what it takes to animate a spot for this breakfast champion? Let\u2019s go back to 1993 to see how the iconic \u201cBeach Volleyball\u201d commercial was created.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thurl Ravenscroft: Tony The Tiger\u2019s Vocal Talent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThurl Ravenscroft was the voice of Tony for about 50 years.\u201d Moon recalls. \u201cHe was in over 500 commercials!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

https:\/\/youtu.be\/9r5znzGl6M8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ravenscroft was born in Norfolk, Nebraska and left at age 19 to attend art school in California. He was tall at 6\u20195\u201d and Moon believes his height may have contributed to his booming bass voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disney fans might already know Ravenscroft from his voiceover work. Ravenscroft contributed vocals to iconic Disneyland attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"thurl_ravenscroft_mellomen\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When the search was on for the first voice of Tony the Tiger, Ravenscroft was discovered through The Mellomen. This was a musical quartet that performed in music recording sessions in several movies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did Tony the Tiger\u2019s commercials get their recordings? Moon says that the team at Leo Burnett would send Ravenscroft a rough cut of the commercial at his San Diego home studio. There was a pencil test of the commercial\u2019s animation on a 3\/4 time coded cassette included with the commercial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moon never felt that much directing was necessary when working with Ravenscroft. Recording for the commercials was done via phone patch between the Leo Burnett Chicago and San Diego recording studios. The two studios would then sync up the TV rough cuts including the pencil test overlay. Then, they would get on the phone with Ravenscroft as he recorded to the rough-cut picture. Lip sync animation was added to his voice track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"thurl_ravenscroft\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The vocal actor would later pass away in 2005.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI only met him in person one time.\u201d Moon admits, \u201cIn spite of that, I felt like he was a good friend. He was so pleasant to work with and he was \u2018Tony.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Filming 1993\u2019s Beach Volleyball Commercial<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n