Why ABBA’s making millions out of the under 14s
By John Grainger - Woman’s Day 16 August 1976
Outside their home country, Sweden, the ABBA singers have hardly caused a ripple
– with the extraordinary exception of Australia, where they are the most popular
pop group of all time. Why here? Millions of Australian kids know the answer.
Four-year-old Julie Denham of Sydney recently woke up her parents and solemnly
announced that she was running away to Sweden.
“I still love you and mummy,” she told a bemused Kevin Denham, of Lansvale,
Sydney. “But I’m going to Sweden to be Anna’s little girl.”
Anna – for the information of those who didn’t buy any of the one and a half
million ABBA records sold in Australia over the past year or so – is Agnetha
Faltskog, the Swedish Rock/Pop group’s blonde beauty.
It’s toddlers, or “weenies”, like Julie who are a major force behind the group’s
staggering success in Australia.
On the record front, ABBA’s single Fernando recently eclipsed The
Beatles’ Hey Jude to become the all-time best-selling single in
Australian history.
Album sales for the group are by far the most extraordinary in the annals of
Australian rock.
ABBA’s four locally released albums have earned more than 100 gold records.
At 15,000 copies for each gold record, that adds up quickly.
But the ABBA phenomenon is not worldwide; apart from Sweden and Australia, the
rest of the world is relatively unexposed to the group.
Entrepreneurs have not been slow to recognise the sizable ABBA market in
Australia.
Promoters, disc jockeys and psychologists say it is the group’s clean cut image
and simple melodic style that is behind the foursome’s extraordinary success
with the weenies, tweenies and early teenies.
Clean cut? Well, two of them, Agnetha and guitarist Bjorn Ulvaeus, are married
while Anni-Frid Lyngstad and pianist Benny Andersson have pledged their troth.
(Their first-name initials make up the groups name.) Simple and melodic? Just
listen to Mamma Mia and Fernando.
And that is the type of music a lot of parents will be listening to over the
next few months with ABBA-mania reaching fever pitch again.
A new record will soon be released, a souvenir “explosion” – including T-shirts
and cigarette cards – is planned, a Swedish television special will be screened
and a concert tour is planned for next March.
Never before has a pop group so totally captured the attention of the kids’
market in Australia.
They won the Eurovision Song Contest
in 1974 with their self-penned song, Waterloo.
Waterloo
was a hit in Europe, Australia, USA, Hong Kong and South Africa.
The hard-nosed American market will come under ABBA siege later this year when
the group makes its US promotional tour.
A recent university survey on the viewing habits of Australian children produced
some startling testimony to the popularity of the group in this country.
Total involvement
In one Sydney primary school class alone, 20 children rated ABBA film-clips as
their favourite television viewing.
The group has inspired toddlers barely able to write to send off for posters,
photos and records.
Every day their tortuous letter-writing efforts pour into the offices of RCA,
ABBA’s recording company.
Psychologist Alan Craddock, from Sydney University, has had first hand
experience with the ABBA-mania among children.
His four year old daughter, Alison, is an ABBA buff – she sits in front of the
television whenever the group makes an appearance.
Although she doesn’t know the lyrics, she sings along with her own version of
the song.
Mamma Mia
becomes “Memmer Ria”, but she doesn’t seem to mind. Alison, like thousands of
other kids, wears an ABBA T-shirt with pride.
Her psychologist dad can’t see any harm in the ABBA craze, and puts their
success down to “accessibility”.
“ABBA’s music is readily accessible to kids – they can understand it and
participate in it,” he says.
“Heavy rock and classical music are too complex for them to follow.
“I think it’s a participation thing for them – it’s not much different from
‘Play School’ in that they
become involved and have fun.”
Veteran Sydney breakfast announcer Gary O’Callaghan is another parent with
ABBA-loving children.
He’s got two daughters, Marita, eight, and Lucy, 10.
“I get ABBA from breakfast time ‘till tea,” he says.
“Both my girls know all the lyrics and even have a system worked out so they
can’t miss ABBA on television.
“On Saturdays they each watch a different television set on a different channel
– when ABBA comes on one of them, there’s a mad rush from one room to the other.
“I’m pestered to enter all the competitions, I’m asked very nicely to buy ABBA
records and T-shirts.”
Gary O’Callaghan’s years of experience in radio have given him a good ear for
popular music. He says ABBA have made it with the little folk because of their
simplicity.
“They don’t go in for musical calisthenics, and I think that is what’s won them
the kids’ market.
“Their lyrics are discernible, the melodies are good and they dress very well.”
The retail wizards are well aware of the sway ABBA holds over the yo-yo brigade.
Future possibilities
Scanlen’s, the bubble-gum people, are producing a series of ABBA cards, similar
to their evergreen footie cards.
Spokesman Bruce Luscombe says: “There can be little doubt that ABBA are
extraordinarily popular with kids at the moment. We’re looking at the
possibilities of producing a card series on them.”
Reg Grundy’s, the sole merchandising and advertising agents for ABBA in
Australia, have several projects on the boil.
Among them are a T-shirt design with 75,000 advance orders – the Woolworths
chain will be among the retailers.
A three-dimensional wall plaque, a pendant, replicas of ABBA stage costumes and
a book on the group’s history will all be on the market before Christmas.
Grundy’s spokesman Graham Liney is certain the million-dollar-plus venture will
bear fruit.
“All our products are aimed at the 10-14 years age group, there can be little
doubt that’s where the bulk of ABBA’s following lies,” he says.
“The kids have the influence, but it’s the mums and dads who have the money.
“I don’t think they’d buy ABBA products if they didn’t like the group
themselves.”
*
Fabian Muir, 7, of Toorak, Melbourne, says: “I like I Do… the best. I’d
watch every program where they sing that. I wouldn’t mind if they just sang that
and nothing else.”
*
Kristine Zacharko, 6, of Parramatta, Adelaide, says: “I like the words, and
dance around. Dancing Queen is my favourite.
*
James McCarthy, 9, of Jindalee, Brisbane, says: “I just like the sound and you
can sing with them. I know all the words.”
*
Donna Thornton, 8, of Karrinyup, Perth, says: “I love ABBA because they don’t
wear make-up and dress up in mad clothes… they don’t shout and you can hear
every word.”
*
Dominic Harris, 8, of Melbourne, says: “I like Benny the best. He has a great
beard.”
*
Rebecca Williams, 5, of Rose Bay, Hobart, says: “If they ever come to Hobart
they’ve got to come and stay with us. I like Anna best. She can have my bed.
Photo of ABBA:
Why they’re making millions out of our kids.
