Buzby Explained

Buzby was a yellow (later orange) talking cartoon bird, launched in 1976 as part of a marketing campaign by Post Office Telecommunications, which later became British Telecommunications (BT).[1]

Overview

Buzby appeared in a series of television commercials with the catchphrase: "Make someone happy with a phone call".[2] Buzby's voice was provided by Bernard Cribbins, and the character was animated by Charlie Jenkins of Trickfilm Studios, London.[3]

The campaign spawned many marketing items, such as toys, badges, a comic strip in TV Comic, and books, and lasted until well into the 1980s. British Telecom produced and sold a "Buzby" wristwatch with Buzby perched on the second hand.[4]

Notes and References

  1. https://books.google.com/books?id=czSnVJVb9zsC&q=Buzby&pg=PR4 Neil McKeown, Case Studies and Projects in Communication
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=i3m7AAAAIAAJ&q=Buzby Victor Bignell, Joyce Fortune, Understanding Systems Failures
  3. Web site: July 28, 2022 . Bernard Cribbins: Doctor Who and Wombles star dies aged 93 . July 28, 2022 . BBC News.
  4. Web site: Buzby . Computer Networking and Telecommunications Research, University of Salford . 18 June 2022.