This TV show that debuted in 1960 licensed its name 8 years later to a childrens’ health product that’s still around today

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Jeopardy! featured a Final Jeopardy clue in the category “Business & Television” that brought together nostalgia and marketing history. The clue was:
“This TV show that debuted in 1960 licensed its name 8 years later to a children’s health product that’s still around today.”

https://youtu.be/ZTqTSmelZHA

What is The Flintstones?

The Flintstones premiered on ABC in 1960 and became the first animated series to air in prime time. Created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the show depicted the lives of Fred and Wilma Flintstone and their neighbors, Barney and Betty Rubble, in the prehistoric town of Bedrock. Despite its Stone Age setting, the series mirrored contemporary suburban life and included many modern-day conveniences humorously reimagined with dinosaurs and stone tools.

The show’s popularity marked a turning point for animated content. It ran for six seasons and 166 episodes, establishing itself as a cornerstone of television history. In syndication, The Flintstones continued to reach new generations and became one of Hanna-Barbera’s most enduring franchises.

A Strategic Licensing Move in 1968

In 1968, eight years after the show’s debut, the Flintstones brand made a significant leap from television to consumer products. That year, Miles Laboratories (which would later become part of Bayer) licensed the characters for a new children’s multivitamin. These chewable tablets, marketed as Flintstones Vitamins, featured shapes and flavors inspired by the cartoon characters and quickly gained traction among parents and kids.

The use of animated characters on health-related products was innovative at the time. It represented a broader trend in licensing where popular entertainment brands extended their influence into everyday household goods. This move helped Flintstones Vitamins dominate the children’s supplement market for decades.

Longevity of the Flintstones Vitamins Brand

More than 50 years later, Flintstones Vitamins remain a top-selling brand in the children’s health space. The product line has expanded to include various formulations addressing different nutritional needs—such as gummies, iron supplements, and immune support blends. The vitamins are available in numerous countries and continue to be a staple in many households.

Despite evolving competition and growing parental scrutiny over sugar content and artificial ingredients, the brand has endured by adapting its formula and maintaining the recognizable character shapes that connect with both children and nostalgic parents. It’s a rare example of a licensed product that has achieved long-term success independent of the continued airing of its source material.

Business & Media Legacy

The licensing of The Flintstones for a health product was a pioneering example of cross-media branding. It demonstrated how television franchises could evolve into long-lasting consumer products with a life far beyond the screen. The partnership between a pharmaceutical company and an entertainment property underscored the growing importance of brand identity in consumer marketing during the late 20th century.

This move set a precedent for countless similar collaborations that followed—where media properties lent their characters and names to everything from cereal boxes to educational tools. The Flintstones’ foray into health products highlighted how powerful nostalgia and character familiarity could be in building trust and loyalty with consumers.

Conclusion

The April 30 Final Jeopardy clue was a nod to a key moment in television and marketing history. By identifying The Flintstones as the show that transitioned from a 1960s animated sitcom into a still-thriving consumer brand, contestants were challenged to think beyond entertainment and consider the broader commercial legacy of television. The correct answer highlighted how one of TV’s most iconic families helped reshape the way media franchises connect with families—on screen and on store shelves.