William B. Laughead, an independent adman, was the first to utilize Paul Bunyan for commercial use in a series of campaigns for the Red River Lumber Company. His first endeavor was a pamphlet entitled “Introducing Mr. Paul Bunyan of Westwood, California,” but it did not prove effective.
It was not until “Tales about Paul Bunyan, Vol. II” appeared that the campaign gained momentum. Embellishing older exploits and adding some of his own, Laughead’s revamped Paul Bunyan did not stay faithful to the original folktales. Among other things, Laughead gave the name “Babe” to the blue ox, increased Paul Bunyan’s height to impossible proportions, and created the first pictorial representation of Bunyan. This has led to significant confusion regarding the validity of Paul Bunyan as a genuine folkloric character.
Nevertheless, the Laughead pamphlets are regarded as one of the most popular collections, often appearing in a single, unabridged volume entitled: The Marvelous Exploits of Paul Bunyan. The Red River ad campaign ingrained Paul Bunyan as a nationally recognized figure, and it also affirmed his massive marketing appeal. Throughout the better part of the century, Paul Bunyan’s name and image continued to be utilized in promoting various products, cities, and services. Across North America, giant statues of Paul Bunyan were erected to promote local businesses and tourism.
A significant portion of these were produced from the 1960s through the 1970s by the company International Fiberglass as part of their “Muffler Men” series of giant fiberglass sculptures.[8] In 1996, Paul Bunyan was also referenced in the black comedy, “Fargo”. Much was spoken about his popularity as well as Babe, the Blue Ox.
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