TV Commercials: 1960s Toys

Yes, commercials were once this long, this slow-paced, and in black and white!

Great Garloo commercial ( Marx 1961 )


Toy Electro Shooting Gallery TV Commercial 1960s


Now this one, pay careful attention to the commercial:

Rare Ideal Mr. Machine TV commercial


Now this was the reality of that toy, once bought and brought home:

Ideal Toys Mr Machine 1960 Marvin Glass Design


What a frikkin racket! They pulled a lot of that shit in 1960s toy commercials. You never, ever heard what a toy really sounded like (unless the point of the toy, shown next, was its sound). Electric motors made these horrible loud sounds. Not to mention any other damned sounds they threw in.

Here's a toy whose whole point was the sound it made:

Mattel "V-rroom!" TV Commercial 1960s


Most kids would just use a clothespin and a gum card against the spokes of a wheel. Sure, the card wore out. But it was still fun! Some kids did multiple cards, really making a great sound!!

I couldn't find the first one, so had to make do with this later one:

GI Joe! GI Joe!


Someone diabolical got boys to play with dolls! They were re-christened "action figures," and we loved the hell out of them! Now Mommy & Daddy's money could be drained away not just buying Barbie accessories, but G.I. Joe stuff too!

Lastly:

Major Matt Mason Advertisement


Major Matt Mason was a molded flexible rubber figure with wires inside of him so he could be posed. Eventually -- and too soon! -- the damned wires would break and you'd have a Crippled Major Matt Mason! The included jet pack was pretty neat. It had a pulley system. Hook one end of the string (I think it was fishing tackle!) on, say, a chair and hold the other end in your hand and pull. Major Matt would go zipping along that line, flying!

Unfortunately, I couldn't find a TV ad for Big Loo!