Tuesday, 2 October 2012

1979: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA COLONIAL WARRIORS' JACKET AD


It's amazing how they got away with this.  Maybe Universal's lawyers didn't read "this sort of magazine" (This ad is from FAMOUS MONSTERS but the same - or similar - also appeared in the likes of STARLOG).  

A casual glance at the ad, which neatly apes the key art extensively used on the show's merchandising, suggests this is an official BATTLESTAR GALACTICA product.  The jacket design and Colonial insignia look authentic.  The Vipers in the artwork are (fairly) accurate looking (and a lot of universal's official merchandising seemed to struggle with some of the show's designs... presumably the result of the compressed timescales of a TV project compared with a more generously timetabled feature film).  What's to worry about?

Well - on closer inspection - there's no mention of the show's name.  Just "some of your favourite TV characters".  Nor do they credit Universal MCA or even attribute copyright ownership to the studio.

I vaguely recall reading, possibly in a copy of THE THIRTEENTH TRIBE Battlestar Galactica fan club newsletter, that these jackets were not exactly as pictured.  The colour scheme and fabrics were apparently inaccurate and the manufacturing poor.

But - best of all - I love the Ad Man's dream that Geeks across America would be donning their Battle Jackets and keeping the Colonial flames burning... at their local disco!

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