The Top "Banana Man"
Ken Bannister, T.B. (featured guest) on "Tonight"
show with Jay Leno
It was back in 1972 when Ken dubbed himself as T.B. (Top Banana) of
the International Banana Club¨.
This native Southern Californian handed out banana stickers at photo conventions as VP of a manufacturing corporation
and everyone smiled and started sending him things to do with
bananas. He is the founder of the I.B.C. Today, there are more than 17,000 submissions and artifax in
the Banana Club Museum in Altadena,
California.
Ken
spent 10 years with the Campbell Soup Company as a Sales
Manager, then served two different manufacturers as Corporate President. He is a well-known marketing and sales
expert, a humorist and lecturer, an accomplished professional photographer, and someone who inspires
people to think positively. He's
a "fun" person who knows the power of a sincere smile and being real. He feels "you
are not fully dressed unless
you put a smile on."
Until
this past year, the majority of the
membership of this bunch has come from the photographic industry.
Now, due to world-wide media exposure to the many positive benefits of membership, this club is "Going Bananas" around
the world. There are members in twenty-seven countries! Corporations and School Teachers across the U.S. are using the Banana Club
to motivate and encourage employees and students. Organizations around the globe are using the B.C. as
a vehicle to get attention, recognize
membership, and to motivate employees, friends and family.
Click here for
PUBLICITY REVIEW featuring The International Banana Club & Ken
Bannister
Here
are many of the places that the International Banana Club has been seen
TELEVISION: The "TONIGHT SHOW" with Jay Leno, The
"HOME" Show, The
"TO TELL THE TRUTH SHOW", The "MORNING SHOW", The "TODAY SHOW", The "CARYL
& MARILYN" Show, The
"GEORGE & ALANA" Show,
The "NEAT STUFF" Show, CBS "NIGHTWATCH" Show, The "JIM & TAMMY FAYE"
Show, The "STEPHANIE
MILLER" Show, The "IT'S SO L.A." Show, The
"SACRAMENTO TODAY" Show,
KTLA LIVE show, The "YOU ASKED FOR IT" Show, The "RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT" Show, The
"THREE THREE O" Show,
The "TWO ON THE TOWN" Show, The
"OUR TOWN" Show, The "PM MAGAZINE " Show, "HARD COPY", The "FROM
SOUP TO NUTS" Show, The
"TENELE" Show, The "WHAT'S MY LINE" Show, The "MIKE & MATTY" Show,
The "COLLECTOR'S
FAVORITE" Show, The "KOVEL'S ON COLLECTING" Show, The "FANTASTIC FACTS" Show,
The "ROCK MANIA" Show,
The "NEWS TRAVEL NETWORK" Show, The "KTLA MORNING" Show, The "GOOD DAY
LA" Show, "Donnie &
Marie".TV NEWS SPECIALS on CBS, NBC, ABC, KTLA, KTTV, CNN, KCAL, UPN, KMEX
and six other Cable TV shows. Pilot Shows
for "OVER THE EDGE TV" "NIGHTCAP" THE FOOD NETWORKS NEW SHOW "EXTREME CUISINE,
Englands BBC "RECORD
BREAKERS" and "Linford'Christies "COLLECTOR's LOT" BBC. "BOOM TV"
Eastern Block Countries DOCUMENTARY
SPECIALS filmed for FRANCE, SWEDEN, CANADA and JAPAN. Specials for "IN-FLIGHT" passengers
for North Western, Delta and American
Airlines.. NBC, ABC, or CBS covers the "BANANA CLUB GAMES" each year. NEW WB Gameshow Pilot
"WHATEVER YOU WANT"
& Warner Brother's "INCURABLE COLLECTORS" 2002. FUGI TV News feature 6-2002.
EbayTV pilot shot 2002.
INTERNET SPECIAL FEATURES:
"MR. SHOWBIZ" article and photos by Harriet Baskas.
Feature article on KFI640.com and MSNBC feature article by "TRAVEL
DAILY" host Peter Greenberg. (NBC correspondent)
Banana Club website is: www.Banana-Club.com
LATimes.com "Secret City" Calendar Live
The B.C. is included on CD's in Italy, France, Germany,
England and South Africa.
PRINT: Feature articles with color
photos : (one or two pages)
"PEOPLE" magazine, "SUNSET" mag., SAVEUR mag., WESTWAYS mag., U.S. KIDS mag., The "STAR", The "NATIONAL EXAMINER", The
"INQUIRER", The
"SUN" HOME SAVINGS mag., CHEVROLET "FRIEND'S" mag., "REAL PEOPLE" mag.,
"MODERN MATURITY" mag., Auto Club's "WESTWAYS" mag.,
"NATIONAL LAMPOON",
"YOU" mag., " US" mag., "GRIT" mag., "L.A." mag.,
"SACRAMENTO" mag., The
"AMERICAN WAY" mag., "LIGHTNING"magazine in Japan, Nat. French - German books.
FOCUS magazine in Milan, Italy .
The "RANGEFINDER, PHOTOGRAPHIC, POPULAR and STUDIO
PHOTOGRAPHY" magazines. "ALF" mag., "MUNK"
mag., " Focus" magazine
in Italy 3-2001. MOONSHINE" mag., "AMERICA
OFF THE WALL" mag., The "MUSEUM" mag., "COLLECTOR'S" mag., "ANTIQUE & COLLECTABLES"
mag., "KOREAM" mag., In flight books include Delta, American, United, Northwest,
Swedish Air, and Malaysian Airlines.
NEWSPAPERS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE FEATURED THE BANANA CLUB
TWICE in the last five years,
THANKS TO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (AP), THE (UPI) UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL and REUTERS NEWS SERVICE. Every major newspaper in the U.S. has run a one forth and/or
one half page features on Ken the
"Banana Man" and the Intl. Banana Club.
BOOKS include "HIDDEN
LA" 99 ,"CALIFORNIA ON
MY MIND" (98), ONE MINUTE SUPERSTARS" (97), "OFFBEAT MUSUEMS" (97-2001), "LITTLE
MUSUEMS" (98), "BANANA
LOVERS COOKBOOK" (97), "THE FAN CLUB BOOK" (YEARLY), "THE
TOTAL BANANA" (79) and
"TOTALLY BANANAS" (to be published in the summer of 99' and written by author Dennis Fox.
3-99 "THE INTERNET GOLD"
from Future Today, Inc. of Santa Clara, CA. Books at Barnes & Noble & Amazon.com
RADIO..Live and taped interviews in 127 cities in the
U.S. and over 327 world-wide.
Drive time talk shows all over the U.S.
continue. NPR features and most CBS affiliates. 300 stations on the AP Radio Network 2-2001, Subj:
Ken Bannister, The"Banana
Man", The Banana Club and the Museum which is a result of the Club.
PRESS AGENCY COVERAGE AND PHOTO SHOOTS BY: REUTERS
NEWS, ASSOCIATED PRESS, U.P.I., GAMMA, MEGA, REX, SIGMA, SIPA, SEMA, CAMERA
PRESS and SHOOTING STAR.
Ken
Bananister, T.B. (Top Banana)
To
book the "Banana Man" at events, trade shows and corporate meetings:
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