Brought to you by Chris Romero, Vertibird and Vectrex collector at www.VECTREX.NET, here is the only Mattel Vertibird commercial to known exist on the Internet as of 2008-05-27. When linking embedding, or reusing, please attribute source credit to Chris Romero (aka Vectrexer) and Vectrex.NET.
This Vertibird play set is the USA released Air Police version, Mattel stock number 7604. The set was available to the public in 1973. When I was a child I used to see these commercials on TV all of the time.
I also had a Vertibird while growing up. Mine was the Rescue Ship US Coat Guard themed play set number 8243. Unfortunately that set didn't survive the toy closet clean out mothers so often perform to assist their children. Today I have over forty Vertibird play sets and my own family enjoys playing with them.
There exists various other theme set models, rebrandings, and other country distributions from all over the planet. Some of these other Vertibird sets are the BlueBird (UK and Canada), Libelle 12 (Germany), Vertiplano (Brazil), Mazinga Z (Italy), and more. Several of the sets had themes relating to TV shows (Battlestar Galactica, Space 1999) and movies (Megaforce). Every time I think I have found them all someone comes up with another set theme variant, or country distribution.
I remember a version this Vertibird Air Police commercial had a longer run time version than the one shown here. Unfortunately, this is the only original era Vertibird commercial I have ever seen for sale or available on any format for posting.
The advertising firm of Ogilvy & Mather is still in existence today as a part of a larger company. The firm does not keep copies the older commercials and would not directly release them even if they retained a copy. Mattel has not responded to my requests about old other Vertibird commercials either.
I purchased this Air Police Vertibird commercial from old film dealer. The film was then captured for your viewing pleasure. Other links and videos stating they are such turn out to be only fan videos and are not an actual commercial. DVD and Blu-Ray quality versions are available on request. Please do not use this video without prior contact, permission, and credit.
2016-08-02 Update with information from Barry Goss. According to Barry both Todd Lookinland and himself are in this commercial. Barry is the brunette and Todd is the blonde. Todd Lookinland is Mike Lookinland's (Brady Bunch) younger brother with many credits to his own name. For the day of the shoot Barry offer these details "We shot the commercial in one day at a small studio on La Brea Ave, just south of Beverly Blvd, in Hollywood. It was late 1973; I believe December. I was given a Vertibird to practice with a few days prior to the shoot. Except for the close up on the hands, which was a hand model, I flew the helicopter. This was my last commercial, but not my first work for Mattel. I did a number of print jobs at George Alpern studios for the 1971 and 1972 Mattel boys catalogs; including Chopcycles, Sizzlers, Hot Birds, Hot Line, Whizzers, and Picture Maker. I don't know if it affected the decision to cast me in the commercial, but I'm sure it didn't hurt!"
There was another version of this same commercial I noted in 2021. That version has the same video content, but a completely different narrator.
Link to the other version: https://youtu.be/aaKfe_oWJEc
#VertiBird #retro #toys #retrotoys #commercial #set7604
1:56
1:46
6:21
0:18
