Wilkins Coffee Commercials (1950s/1960s)

1957, Jim Henson was hired by Helen Ver Standig who worked on advertising Wilkins Coffee, to produce commercials using early Muppet characters. Henson produced these commercials from 1957 to 1961. Each ad ran for about 10 seconds long.

Rebuilt versions of the puppets were on display in the touring exhibit Jim Henson's Fantastic World, while the original puppet for Wilkins has been donated to the Smithsonian.

You better get the wilkins coffee

Those old Wilkins Coffee commercials were hilariously dark! Jim Henson's puppets really knew how to make you laugh while selling coffee with a surprising twist.

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In 1957, Jim Henson was hired by Helen Ver Standig who worked on advertising Wilkins Coffee, to produce commercials using early Muppet characters. Henson produced these commercials from 1957 to 1961. Each ad ran for about 10 seconds long.

The Wilkins Coffee commercials from the 1950s and 1960s are famous for their quirky and dark humor. These ads featured two puppets, Wilkins and Wontkins, created by Jim Henson, who would later become famous for the Muppets.

The Wilkins Coffee commercials from the 1950s and 1960s, crafted by Jim Henson, featured two characters: Wilkins, a coffee enthusiast, and Wontkins, who disliked it. Each ten-second ad humorously depicted Wilkins subjecting Wontkins to comical violence for refusing the coffee—like being shot from a cannon. This slapstick approach was a blend of Looney Tunes and The Muppet Show, making the ads both memorable and entertaining. Henson's genius turned potential dark humor into charming skits that captivated audiences. These commercials remain a nostalgic nod to an era when advertising was as much about laughter as selling products.