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In 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed that his nation…
In 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy proclaimed that his nation would land a manned space craft on the moon by the end of the decade. In July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon’s surface, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”.
In the 1960s, many TV shows had outer space themes: My Favorite Martian, Lost in Space, Star Trek, It’s About Time and I Dream of Jeannie. Even episodes of Gilligan’s Island featured Russian Cosmonauts and NASA equipment. Movies included: The Reluctant Astronaut and Way … Way Out, starring Don Knotts and Jerry Lewis, respectively.
To capitalize on the vast popularity of the space program, Mattel introduced Major Matt Mason, a toy astronaut, in 1967. Mattel is best known for its Barbie doll, launched in 1959, and Hot Wheels[1].
Major Matt Mason was a “typical astronaut”, based on Mercury astronauts. Initially, all of his equipment was based directly on NASA’s conceptual illustrations that appeared in Jane’s Weekly Defense Magazine and Air Force magazine – non-classified publications available to the public.
The original release was made with white rubber. Cuffs, straps and joints were painted silver, blue and black, respectively. Mattel soon replaced the silver cuffs in favor of black; the silver paint tended to rub-off. After complaints that the black paint rubbed off of the joints, Mattel made the toy with black rubber and painted the white areas.
The second action figure released in the Major Matt Mason toy line was Sgt. Storm. Storm’s laser rifle marked the reposition from “science fact” to “sci-fi”. The third character in the series was Doug Davis, space scientist-radiology. Jeff Long, space scientist-rocketry, might have been Mattel’s nod to Robert J. Lawrence; Lawrence was killed in 1967 as he was training to be America’s first Black astronaut. Davis wore a yellow space suit. Long wore a blue space suit. Kids could pull off the heads and switch the bodies.
In addition to major retail outlets, such as Sears, the four astronaut figures were sold as souvenirs at NASA Space Centres. The NASA editions were simply labeled as “Astronaut, bendable spaceman”.
Next, Mattel introduced two space aliens who befriended Mason, Storm, Davis and Long. Callisto, from the planet Jupiter, had a transparent green skull that revealed his advanced brain. Captain Lazer was twice the size of other action figures in the Major Matt Mason line; there is speculation that Captain Lazer was originally created as a stand-alone toy.
Scorpio, an evil space alien, was the last character to be released. Scorpio looked very much like the common image of space aliens: small body and large eyes.
In an attempt to rejuvenate sales, Mattel launched a talking Major Matt Mason. The pull-string talking device was housed in Mason’s backpack.
Accessories included: battery-operated vehicles, a space-walker, a talking command console and a multi-level space station.
The Major Matt Mason line was extended to include: a wallet, a lunchbox and a three-ring binder for kids to carry their money, lunch and school work, respectively, as well as trading cards and games. DC Comics had an agreement with Mattel to publish a tie-in comic book. The comic book never made it print; DC publishes Batman, Superman and Black Adam comic books.
The Major Matt Mason line ceased production in the early 1970s. Its popularity declined with the general loss of interest in the U.S. space program.
July 2024 will mark the 55th anniversary of mankind’s first step on the moon.
Your marketing firm has been approached by Mattel to reintroduce the Major Matt Mason toy line. Mattel’s revenue has dropped in recent years to the declining popular of its best-selling product Barbie. Moreover, Mattel has been criticized for lacking innovation; the company’s second highest-selling brand, Hot Wheels, was first introduced in 1968. In contrast, Hasbro, Mattel’s largest direct competitor. Has seen increased sales due to the popularity of its action figure toys such as Spiderman. Finally, video games have attracted kids away from traditional toys and games.
In November 2017, Hasbro announced that it wanted to acquire Mattel. Hasbro’s toy brands include: My Little Pony and G.I. Joe. In 2022, Mattel was very optimistic view of the post pandemic toy market while Hasbro has a more conservative outlook.
[1] Sources: Wildtoy’s Major Matt Mason; the Original Major Matt Mason Web Page.
QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE MINI CASE
There are three questions. The first question is below.
The other two questions are presented in the next two pages. Prior to going to the next page, make notes of key points; there is no page-back.
Well-constructed point form is acceptable.
Mini Case: Question1
Briefly describe two marketing ideas to ensure a successful product re-launch.
Discuss the positives and challenges/negatives of each of your ideas.
