NBC Goes Retro for the Rebel: Even the Peacock Logo Joins the Fray

Postponed from an earlier date because of the ABC Supply 500 tragedy. Writer's note -- this was the article that I have considered would make for some work to include the Peacock logo history, as NBC is using the older logos for the Rebel 500. Maybe the Peacock logo history fits for a further article.

So the MDA has ended their once-21 hour telethon after cutting it to just a few hours on network television.  So it's time to find something new for Labor Day on television, and NBC is doing so with the Rebel 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Darlington Raceway in the Florence, South Carolina region. (Please read here and here in order to understand the history of Darlington's spring race that has been moved to this date for 2015, and why it is referred as the Rebel 500.)

For the Rebel 500 September 6, the first time Darlington Raceway will run on the Sunday before the first Monday in September since 2003, the circuit and teams are promoting various retro-themed promotions.  Various sponsors are using schemes with corporate images from the past, as many sponsors are using logos of the past, and some teams are basing liveries on famous liveries of the past, while Ingersoll-Rand, Competition Cams, Moog Chassis Parts, 3M, among other NASCAR contingency sponsors, are using their past logos for stickers.  Even NASCAR and NBC have joined in the theme, with retro logos being used by both for the event.  But as this blog discusses the moving picture arts of the past frequently, NBC's logo has joined the fray.

The Peacock logo used in this ad is authentic 1960's, but too, the NBC promos for the race include "when Carson was king".  Some are even wanting NBC to use classic logo mic flags for the broadcast to fit with the entire retro theme of the race, the first time the Florentine circuit has organised a race on this date since 2003, when the fall race (now at Fort Worth, Texas, because of Ferko) was run there.  (In 2004, the circuit moved the fall race to November, but lost it after a lawsuit.)  Even some on Twitter are playing fun, asking of Messrs. Scheweiger, Burton, or Letarte will wear 1970's themed clothing to join the entire party.


And this wasn't their first 1970's themed video for the 2015 season.  Earlier in the year, this promo was cut by drivers, featuring another 1970's theme.  Can you identify the 1970's theme in this video?


Welcome Back to the Bygone Era!