Disney Collectible Card Adverts from Tobler

Circa 1951, the Swiss chocolate company, Tobler, sponsored a Disney campaign in France where special character postcards were found inside packages of their candy. This handbill poster not only announces the card promotion but also the return of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to cinemas. Full-color illustration of Snow and Dopey on front side. Alice in Wonderland premiered that same year and its characters are featured on the back.

Poster image courtesy of Matt at Vintage Disney Alice in Wonderland. Also see a few of his Alice postcards here.

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Tobler also sponsored several Disney sticker books. This French four-page album advert promotes the "sticker" cards found inside the Tobler chocolate bars. It includes images of Snow White and Alice, plus characters from Peter Pan which premiered in 1953.

See the Snow White Tobler "sticker" book printed in Switzerland, and also one issued in Belgium.

1953 Swiss Tobler Book - French Version by L.S. Tenas

In the early 1950s, Tobler of Bern, Switzerland became a licensee of Disney characters for use in their chocolate promotions (see their French Snow White postcards in an earlier Archive entry). In 1953, they sponsored the publication of this Snow White storybook. It was produced in Italian, German, and French--the three languages spoken in Switzerland.

Like other sticker books, this one has spaces where individual cards can be glued into place. However, unlike other sticker books, this is a thick hardcover, not a flimsy paper album. Most albums in this era were produced to be used as part of a promotion, usually where the sticker cards are found inside packages of candy or bread. But it appears that the stickers for this book may have been included on sheets located at intervals of every eight pages. So it's possible that this book was the promotion, rather than going the route of putting cards inside chocolate bars.

There are 64 pages altogether (not counting endpapers or the missing sticker sheets) and 80 images. Book illustrations, text, and layout by L.S. Tenas. Printed in Switzerland. It looks as though the green covers might have originally come with a more colorful dusty jacket.

Images and info courtesy of Greg Philip of A Lost Film.

In an earlier post, see another edition of this book which was printed in France and issued in Belgium.

Vintage French Snow White Postcards by Tobler

The Swiss chocolatier, Tobler, introduced their popular postcard promotion, circa 1951. Disney-themed cards were offered as premiums inside bars and boxes of chocolate. They were printed by Georges Lang of Paris and issued in France. Each measures approximately 9 x 14cm (3.5" x 5.5"). There were loads of them--characters from the early shorts and every animated feature up through Peter Pan.

When I first started researching these postcards, it was a surprise to find that Snow White and the dwarfs were represented with two different sets of illustrations, possibly one of them having been released at a later date. One group of eight cards was issued with green ink printed on the reverse side. The other batch--with different images--was produced with red ink. However, after years of searching, I have yet to come across any evidence to show that Sneezy, Sleepy, and Bashful were ever included in this latter group. Some of the red-back cards promote the children's magazine Le Journal de Mickey.

The Snow White postcards that I know to exist are shown below. The green-back series is on the left, red-backs to the right.

Blanche Neige.

An example of the green ink on the reverse side. The text mentions that a free card album is available.

The red ink back.

An alternate red-back promotes Le Journal de Mickey.

Prof.

Grincheux.

Joeyeux.

Simplet.

Atchoum, Dormeur, Timide (green-backs only).

It seems logical to think that these last three characters would have been included in the red-back set too, but I've yet to find any mention of them online.

1938 Snow White Animated Round Music Box

Produceded by Thorens Inc (New York) and made in Switzerland, this Snow White animated music box dates from circa 1938. The front side is decorated with blue enamel paint and an applied label depicting Snow White with the forest animals plus castle in background. Above it is a die-cut window that reveals images of the Dwarfs on a tin litho disc which rotates as the box plays the "Heigh-Ho" song.

Wood panel on underside has three "feet" and a built-in wind-up key. Measures 3.25" in diameter and 1.5"tall.

Images via Hakes.

Switzerland imprint on blue side panel.

An example the music box with a red side panel.