16mm TV Commercial: Kenner “RPM Racers”

Kenner Toys
Grey Agency
EUE Screen Gems
RPM Racers (PGDY2823)
30 second, color
16mm trailer for Toy Race Cars (1978)

Kenner’s SSP brand of zip cars was the company’s biggest toy line until Star Wars overtook it in the spring of 1978. Looking to revitalize their popular brand, Kenner Parker Toys filed a trademark for RPM Racers on March 1, 1979. They had already hired the Grey Agency (who oversaw the Star Wars ad campaigns) to shoot a fairly sophisticated race track commercial complete with an ABC Wide World of Sports-style sportscaster as two young boys square-off with their Trans-Am looking cars (this was the era of Smokey and the Bandit, after all).

For reasons unknown, the line was never rebranded and Kenner decided to stick with the established SSP branding, making this a extremely rare piece of advertising film.

Because of that, I haven’t been able to locate a video link for this commercial. The reel is pretty clean and the film is odor-free. The film is on its original plastic reel, which measures 3 in. tondo, and comes in a nondescript cardboard box, which has the title hand-written on it. I don’t have a 16mm projector to be able to project and record it, but I did unspool it to be able to provide the photograph herein from the reel. The film appears to have been manufactured by Screen Gems.

Collectors of 70s era toys and toy car advertising art and memorabilia are sure to love this rare, possibly never-screened promotional-only item from the era when commercials were provided to  TV stations on film reels.

See photos for condition reference. Sold as-is.