Selected images: Starlog Scrapbook movie magazine, 1984

Posted on June 21, 2020 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Featuring stars from some of 20th century cinema’s biggest sci-fi, horror, and fantasy hits (and a few misses) … TVTA is pleased to present selected images from the 1984 Starlog Scrapbook Vol. 3. by Norman Jacobs and Kerry O’Quinn.

Sigourney Weaver and Jones – Alien. JoBeth Williams – Endangered Species.

The Three Stooges. Have Rocket, Will Travel.

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars.

Edmond O’Brien and Jan Sterling. 1984.

David Naughton. An American Werewolf in London.

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Walkers Star Wars Tazo Collector’s Force Pack, 1996

Posted on April 25, 2020 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Smash! Another collection completed! It’s only taken me since 1996… well, better late than never, and there is something sweet about finishing a target after a long wait.

Walkers Star Wars Tazo Collector’s Force Pack was a free ring binder book you could send off for in 1996 to celebrate the release of The Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition.

To complete the pack you needed to collect ‘Tazos’ (sometimes known as ‘Pogs’) which could be found sealed inside packs of Walkers Crisps, French Fries, Monster Munch, Quavers, and Doritos. Each Tazo was a circular, cardboard disc, and came printed with images from the original trilogy Star Wars films.

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Japanese chirashi posters – Wonder Woman 1984 & more!

Posted on March 19, 2020 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Wonder Woman 1984. Japanese chirashi poster. Front.

Wonder Woman 1984. Japanese chirashi poster. Reverse.

New Japanese chirashi movie posters just in at TVTA, and the Wonder Woman 1984 as seen above is simply one of the best posters I’ve seen!

Also freshly scanned are these other ‘wonders’. Enjoy 🙂

Pretty Cure. Chirashi. Japan. 2020. Front.

Pretty Cure. Chirashi. Japan. 2020. Reverse.

Hokusai. Chirashi. Japan. 2020.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Chirashi. Japan. 2008. Front.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Chirashi. Japan. 2008. Reverse.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Chirashi. Japan. 2019. Front.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Chirashi. Japan. 2019. Reverse.

Godzilla Anime. Chirashi. Japan. 2018. Front.

Godzilla Anime. Chirashi. Japan. 2018. Reverse.

X Men 2. Chirashi. Japan. 2003. Front.

X Men 2. Chirashi. Japan. 2003. Reverse.

A newspaper life – pop culture ads from the defunct French Metronews

Posted on March 1, 2020 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Metronews. Astérix. 24 Oct. 2013.

A TVTA special

One of the first jobs I did when I moved to France was working as a newspaper and advertising distributor. The newspaper in question was Metronews, which was launched 18 February 2002 as Metro then renamed Metronews in 2013 until it ceased print publication and moved online in 2015.

Metronews was hand-distributed on weekday mornings to commuters and students, and deposited in self-service racks in and outside of public buildings and city transport networks. The title was part of Metro International – a Swedish global media company since 1995 based in Luxembourg that publishes the range of Metro newspapers around the world.

Metronews was a freesheet newspaper, and it gained the bulk of its revenues from advertising, which ultimately led to its 2015 demise due to the growing trend of advertisers and readers migrating to online services. As a consequence of the print title ending, I, and the rest of my distribution team, lost our jobs and were offered free government re-training packages.

I remember my last morning as a distributor; Friday, July the third, 2015, the day the print title ended, handing out that final ever edition with mixed emotions: it would be a relief not to have to work in the noise and bustle of one of France’s big cities full of traffic fumes and freezing wind in the winter, and to not have to wear the green T-shirt and baseball cap uniform!… but I was sure going to miss some of my daily acquaintances, the early morning chats and improving my French language skills. Plus, as a writer, there was always plenty of inspiration to be found by observing human nature and the dynamics of people when spending significant time in a big city.

TVTA never misses an opportunity to archive!

Being as my blog has always been about pop culture advertising, it was only natural during my time with Metronews I saved some of the issues – including that last ever edition I mentioned… funny to think that each of the covers you are about to see I personally handed out at one time, thinking to myself: hmm, I must remember to save one of these to post up on my blog one day…

Metronews. Grand Theft Auto V. 17 Sep. 2013.

: Metronews. The Walking Dead. 30 Sept 2014.

: Metronews. Lady S. BD. 29 Nov. 2013.

Metronews Star Wars Rebels. 2014.

Metronews. Star Wars Rebels. 30 Sept 2014.

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The Rise of Skywalker – cinema swag and promotions

Posted on December 22, 2019 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Pathé Gaumont Les Mag. France. 2019.

Last night I went to see Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. This post is not a review, it’s more a showpiece for some of the advertising and promotions concerning the movie. I will say, however, that I thoroughly enjoyed this final instalment of a film franchise that’s been there with me since I was a child. In many ways TROS serves as a fine tribute to the ‘best of Star Wars’. It’s been quite a journey!

So, onto the few promotions I’ve gathered for the film here in France. Besides print adverts, there is the Premiere film magazine cover, a Nestlé cereal competition, cinema exclusive plastic soda cups and a cool metal popcorn bucket, Actimel yoghurt pots, and I’ve included my Japanese chirashi posters.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Cover of Premiere. Dec 2019. France.

The Rise of Skywalker. Japanese chirashi.

The Rise of Skywalker. Double page ad. Premiere. Dec 2019. France.

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Publicités et couvertures – Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont – Le Mag (3)

Posted on September 28, 2019 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Sept 2019. France.

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Sept 2019. France. Ad Astra.

Welcome to part 3 of my ongoing web series showcasing print adverts and covers from French publication Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont Le Mag, featuring recent films you may have seen or are planning to see.

Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont, c’est une chaîne de cinema appartenant à Pathé, active en France, aux Pays Bas, en Suisse et en Belgique. Voici plusieurs couvertures et publicités de films récents, scannées à partir du magazine français Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont!

Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont is a cinema chain owned by Pathé, with operations in France, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. Here are some covers and adverts for recent movies you may have seen, scanned from the French magazine Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont!

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Avril 2019. France.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Jul 2019. France.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Mai 2019. France.

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. July 2019. France. Playmobil: The Film.

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. July 2019. France. Playmobil: The Film Pop’N Box promo.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. La Reine des Neiges II.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. J’ai Perdu Mon Corps.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. Terminator: Dark Fate.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Jul 2019. France. Le Roi Lion.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Jul 2019. France. Anna.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. Raymonda.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Jul 2019. France. Sider-Man: Far From Home.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Mai 2019. France. X-Men: Dark Phoenix.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. Maléfique: Le Pouvoir du Mal.

: Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Sept 2019. France. Gemini Man.

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Oct 2019. France. Le Mans 66.

Pathé Gaumont Le Mag. Sept 2019. France. 4DX.

Merci! Thanks for looking 🙂

Publicités et couvertures – Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont – Le Mag (2)

Posted on October 19, 2018 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Venom. France. 2018.

This is the second Venom movie ad I’ve picked up this week. A French version. Sweet. Sweeter still is that I just got back from the cinema after watching it. What a blast! Venom is one mean character you don’t want to meet in a dark alley. And Tom Hardy – always so watchable. Okay, it was a bit weird watching him in a dubbed French voice over, but it was still Tom, only Frenchier.

Here’s the other Venom ad I posted earlier in the week in case you missed it. And this is followed by some further French ads and covers all courtesy of Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont Le Mag.