Antenna Ball/Topper Information
or Vindle
From Wikipedia: Vindle Vindle: A vindle is an antenna accessory which is also called car antenna decorations, toppers and antenna balls, "vindle" is a unique name for these items and includes all types and styles. Vindles serve two purposes:
- decoration. A vindle allows you to personalize your automobile or other vehicle with an antenna.
- vehicle location. A good unique vindle allows you to find your vehicle in a crowded parking lot. This is of greater importance if you drive a very common vehicle in a common colour.
True or False?
Paul Bunyan created the first seven and one-half foot diameter antenna ball for his giant timber truck.
If you answered true, you were half right...
- it was not Paul Bunyan but rather Ray Pedersen. Way back in 1932, Union Oil initiated their "Spirit of 76" advertising campaign promoting Union Oil's 76 octane fuel. The orange 76 globe first appeared in 1947.
In 1954, Ray Pedersen was hired by Young & Rubicam, a Los Angeles company that designed Union Oil's advertising.
On his assignment for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair, Ray Pedersen was tasked to design an advertising campaign for the 1,400 foot long Skyride. Part of this work effort was to design advertising near the boarding Kiosks. He claims to have woke up one morning with the thought that Fair visitors standing around the boarding kiosks would best be able to read advertising that could be viewed from many angles -- that is where the seven and a half foot diameter ball idea came to fruition. That advertising medium was the orange Union 76 ball.
It is estimated that over 30,000 Union 76 Service Stations had one of those lighted revolving balls to attrack customers.
In 1967 - during the twelve years Pedersen handled the Union Oil account - another idea popped into his head and that was that it seemed natural to follow the large diameter station balls' success with miniature replicas. Thus the first record of automobile antenna balls (toppers) being produced were to promote awareness of the Union 76 Gas Station. The first balls were spray painted orange by hand, dried, then screen printed, again by hand, with the blue 76 image. Unocal's car antenna ball promotion was an instant success creating an antenna-topper marketing revolution.
By the end of 1996, Unocal's production of the Union 76 Ball totalled 3,250,000 balls.
Noteworthy is the fact that in 1991, Disney World created the very first "Mickey" antenna topper to celebrate "Walt Disney World's 20th Anniversary". Currently,Disney has over 100 different antenna toppers.
Inventors have sought to improve the antenna ball with a United States' Patent Issued on November 17, 1998 titled, "Vehicle antenna topper."
Antenna balls/toppers have been mounted on car antennas all over North America. Today, there are hundreds of antenna ball/topper designs in all shapes and sizes for sale on the Internet and retail outlets. These numerous designs allow you to tell the world a little bit about yourself. You can display allegiance to your favorite sports team, display your favorite cartoon character, or display your patriotism.
Americans love their cars, trucks and SUVs. They also like to individualize their vehicles. Antenna balls let you decorate and thus individualize your vehicle without damaging the paint similar to a personalized license plate.
We hope this antenna ball information helps you better understand what an antenna ball is, how it decorates your vehicle, where it came from and at least a glimpse of how really big the antenna ball market has become.