This may be one of the most optimistic toy commercials of the 1960s.
“He lives on the Moon, we may all be there soon…”
This 60-second Major Matt Mason commercial dates to around 1967, and think about that line for a moment. Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin wouldn’t actually walk on the Moon until July 20, 1969.
But Mattel was already letting kids live there.
Major Matt Mason was “Mattel’s Man in Space,” complete with a Moon base, jet pack, lunar vehicles and fellow astronaut Sgt. Storm. This commercial even introduces the giant Captain Lazer, supposedly powered by energy from the stars.
What surprised me is how much of the original toy wasn’t simply made-up science fiction.
Mattel studied real aerospace concepts, and Major Matt’s strange Moon Suit was actually based on a 200-pound experimental lunar suit designed in the early 1960s. The real thing appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1962.
Even one of the men behind the toy had genuine aerospace credentials. Mattel designer Jack Ryan had previously worked at Raytheon on missile systems, and he and Ralph Dunn patented Major Matt Mason’s unusual wire-supported bendable body.
Of course, Mattel eventually let its imagination run wild. Captain Lazer arrived from Mars, other aliens followed, and a Major Matt Mason book even featured giant genetically engineered Moon rabbits.
That closing “This world is swell, it’s made by Mattel” has an interesting connection: Mattel’s famous “Mattel — it’s swell!” slogan was created by Tony Asher, who also co-wrote several songs on the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds.
For a kid watching television in 1967, though, none of this probably seemed that far-fetched.
We were going to the Moon — why wouldn’t we be living there next?
Did you have Major Matt Mason, or was this one of those toys you desperately wanted for Christmas?