BAGS OF FUN: VINTAGE PROJECT SWORD PRINTED ENVELOPES

 Very occasionally something comes along which stirs things up for SWORDies like me.

Something which changes the way we understand Project SWORD,

like the bus ticket plan, the 2001 co-promotion and ITN film.

Such a thing came along one summer.

These!

They were four Project SWORD envelopes.

A very good friend acquired them and very kindly donated one to Moonbase for examination for which I am very grateful.

Basically each one is an A5 off-white envelope with a printed and embossed text panel in red.

This panel reads STAGE ONE IMMEDIATE and features the standard Project SWORD logo and Century 21 Toys Ltd 1967.

Along the lower left edge run the words PRINTED MATTER.

The rear entails a flap which is pre-creased about a third of the way up.

It is hard to say if the flap was gummed or not now.

Inside the lip of the envelope is a paper slip glued to the inside. This is also pre-creased in a similar way to the main flap.

This paper slip folds in the middle.

The slip is glued to the inside of the envelope.

The four envelopes were sold by a seller often dealing in movie press packs. This together with the word IMMEDIATE suggested to my friend and I that this too was for promotional material for, say, toy shops, comic shops etc.

The words STAGE ONE we assumed to mean the very start of Project SWORD, perhaps the beginning of the story-line or the release of the range of toys in 1967, which collectors often call Phase 1.

With all this in mind the next question was what exactly went in the envelopes back in 1967?

I first considered whether an introductory letter from Century 21 Toys may have been inside but until one is found that will remain pure conjecture.

Perhaps a photograph or two? Some official photos existed because some were included in the design registration for the Moon Prospector and Moon Bus. Century 21 may have had a stack of these spare.

I don't have any of those but I do have a black and white photograph, which gives some idea of trade-style photos. Alas I can't find it in Moonbase so can't say whether it would fit in the envelope.

  What about the Project SWORD plastic badge?

Well it's certainly small enough to fit in the envelope.

With some folding the paper flap might have even been able to hold a badge in place at the top of the sealed envelope although it would have made it bulky at the flap end. 

It wasn't printed matter either.

What about the Official Project SWORD Manual of the toy range?

Well, the Manual is smaller than A5 but would certainly fit vertically, although it seems too small to me.

The inner paper slip can be folded over the edge but does not secure it really ....

.... which you can see here. It appears that the Manual is too small.

Unfolding the Manual doesn't help either. Its too wide like that.

Moving on to other SWORD material, I tried an advert for the toys, which appeared in various comics during 1967. This one was in Valiant and perhaps a colour carded version of the ad was mailed out in the envelopes? The size seems OK.

Switching to TV21, where Project SWORD was re-launched as illustrated stories, even the folded comic is too large to fit into the envelope.

Finally I tried a SOLO comic, the birthplace of Project SWORD.

I folded a copy ....

... and it fit perfectly!

Even the inner slip seemed to function as a brace when folded over the comic edge ....

.... creating a neat pack of printed matter that could be easily mailed out!

Sounds convincing but the truth is we simply don't know what the envelope was for and who it was aimed at.

Was it literally an envelope to send out the first appearance of the Project SWORD comic strip in issue 19 of SOLO in 1967? Or maybe a press release for immediate release to the press? 

SOLO's debut SWORD strips featured an identification guide for all the toys in the SWORD range as well:

Besides advertisements in comics that year and the toys and manuals themselves I can't think of any other specific promotional items in 1967. Perhaps the envelopes represented an initial salvo to trade journals, comics shops, toy shops and newsagents?

Maybe the emphasis was on marketing the SOLO strip rather than the toy range?

We know that the Project SWORD strips and toys were promoted by Century 21 in an organised way in the following year, 1968.

In June of that year Project SWORD became part of the loud fanfare heralding the cinema release of 2001 A Space Odyssey as reported in the trade press at the time. This cross-promotion would include displays of the toys in toy stores, clubs and cinemas across the UK.

In November 1968 Century 21 went all out by planning to run a 

'SWORD Toys Campaign: A PROMOTIONAL and advertising campaign to boost the SWORD range of space-age toys from Century 21 Toys Ltd. is being launched throughout the country during November.

The campaign will embrace trade, provincial Press and children's comic advertising, advertising on millions of bus tickets and competitions for both retailers and consumers.

It starts in Birmingham, Cardiff and Glasgow in November when millions of bus tickets in these three key cities will carry advertisements for SWORD toys.

Early in December the 280, 000 circulation comic TV 21 will carry a "Design a new SWORD toy" competition with a first prize of a hovercraft trip to France.

Advertising is planned for TV 21, Eagle, Valiant and Buster, and Century 21 Toys are holding a national window display contest with separate classes for retailers and special display staff ' 

[Retail Newsagent, Bookseller and Stationer, dated November 2nd 1968]

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Sadly no SWORD bus tickets have surfaced, however our own talented Bill B photoshopped this marvellous mock-up of what one might have looked like:

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The arrival of the four 1967 SWORD envelopes is evidence nevertheless that unknown material still exists and is just out there waiting to be found!

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Let me know your own thoughts about the function of the Project SWORD envelopes readers.

[first posted in 2017]