Major Matt Mason Classic TV Commercials

Here's a collection of Major Matt Mason videos that have been preserved from TV commercials - some of these files are also available on www.archive.org. Note that if you know of the whereabouts of any additional clips, please contact me.

Mattel 1966 (30 seconds B&W)

This is probably the debut Major Matt Mason commercial - first appearing around the fall of 1966, probably during the Christmas season.

• "This is Major Matt Mason, Mattel's Man in Space"
• "Ready for every adventure with all of his official equipment"
• "The Space Station, protected by Solar Shields"
• "The Moon Suit, designed for exploration"
• "The Space Crawler that keeps on going no matter what"
• "Get them together, or separately and share the exciting adventures of Major Matt Mason, Mattel's new Man in Space." 

Cleaner, VHS copy provided by Norman Easterday.

Mattel 1967 (60 seconds Color)

This is probably the second Major Matt Mason commercial - first appearing in 1967, once again probably during the Christmas season.

• "Meet Major Matt Mason, Mattel's Man in Space, and the bravest astronaut yet."
• "He lives on the Moon, we may all be there soon, and he gets around with a jet."
• "Until Sgt Storm with his red uniform, Major Matt worked all alone."
• "Now together they face the dangers of space, and seek to learn the unknown."
• "The machines that they drive seem almost alive as they transport the adventurous pair."
• "The new Astro Trak whips through the black, and Firebolt even goes where they meet Captain Lazer, his space gear ablaze with energy stored from the stars."
• "He's a giant it's true, but a friendly one who spent his boyhood on Mars."
• "An exciting place, the world of space, as all the astronauts know."
• "This world is swell, it's made by Mattel."
• "With it, how far can you go?"

Mattel 1968 (30 seconds Color)

 This commercial introduces the Firebolt Space Cannon. 

• "Major Matt Mason and his Task Force are here."
• "Look what they brought with them - the Space Firebolt with Cosmic Ray Penetrator."
• "It seeks out and blasts valuable minerals from mountains of metal on the Moon."
• "Space Firebolt can even be driven by Major Matt's friend, the electronic giant from outer space, Captain Lazer."
• "Space Firebolt, made by Mattel. It's out of this world."
  

Mattel 1969 (60 seconds Color)

For 1969 Mattel frames its commercials using reports from the Mattel Astrospace Center - the later reused for an updated Major Matt Mason fan club (MAC - Mattel Astrospace Corps). This is reflected both in this commercial and other recordings made of contemporary commercials. Much thanks to Norman Easterday for first surfacing this clip from an original reel, then transferring it to digital format to share with the world.

• "Progress report from the Mattel Astospace Center."
• "The amazing new Unitred and Space Bubble is on the move."
• "Unitred shifts gears automatically to climb up hills."
• "They're falling! The Space Bubble is spinning to keep the astronaut level."
• "Mason in control now."
• "It looks like a lunar dust storm."
• "Unitred is going through it - Davis is A-OK in the Space Bubble."
• "And here's Callisto, he has converted Unitred into a lunar sled pushing Jeff Long's Space Bubble and hauling equipment on the Unitred cargo carrier."
• "And now they've joined forces - Mason orders a bubble train linkup - and there they go!"
• "Heading back for Tranquility Base."
• "Stay tuned for further reports, as they develop at your local Mattel Astrospace Center all systems are go." 

JC Penney 1969 (30 seconds Color)

Unusual commercial, very different from what one sees on TV today, where the actual products are telling the story - no emphasis on brand names, the focus is on the motions and sounds emitted by the toys (note the Star Seeker).

• "At Penney's we make toys that race... and walk, crawl and talk; wobble and whirl."
• "Toys that buzz, beep, clonk, ring, click and jump."
• "All the toys you see on TV and many exclusives."
• "At prices as low as you'll get any where."
• "Catch them at Penney's!"

Bill Cosby Show 1969.09.14

During the Bill Cosby Show pilot episode "The Fatal Phone Call" Mattel heavily promoted its new line of toys including Major Matt Mason's XRG-1 Reentry Glider. I'm still looking for examples of the commercials shown.

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