Enormous Rabbit, Duck Attack Banks

Godzilla and King Kong have both attacked and scaled tall buildings. It’s a given, it’s what they do. But when was the last time you saw a soft bunny or cute duck attack a structure? Most souvenir buildings are well-made replicas of actual architecture. A few, however, are quirky or down-right bizarre. A copper-colored Coast Federal Savings Bank from Los Angeles is about 5 inches tall and dates from the 1960s. A giant rabbit towers over the replica with its front paws resting on the roof. What’s up with the rabbit, doc? For the answer, I discovered an actual doctor and a research paper authored by Brandy Lea Cook-Hasley and Dr. Todd Wiebers. They wrote about Dr. Marian Breland Bailey, a pioneer in the history of applied animal psychology:

“In 1954, Marian conditioned a bunny rabbit for a Coast Federal Savings Bank commercial. ‘Buck Bunny’ was taught to drop coins into a replica of the bank, illustrating the idea to people to open a savings account at Coast bank. Buck Bunny was the star of the Coast Federal Savings Commercial which set an all-time record for repeat performances, airing on television for approximately twenty years (Bailey & Bailey, 1996; Breland & Breland, n.d.)”

There is also a plastic version of this bank replica sans menacing rabbit. Built in 1926, the real building’s was designed by Morgan Walls + Clements. The 12-story, U-shaped structure is located at 315 W. 9th St. in L.A. and appears to now be a Washington Mutual Bank. Another quirky souvenir building has a Gold-colored duck perched on top of a “Savings Bank.” Do you know more information about the duck or the bank? Know of other strange replica buildings? Share your knowledge in the comments link below.