There was once a time when the most violent and terrifying movie properties had toy tie-ins that were marketed to children, but an old commercial featuring a Xenomorph action figure from Alien takes the cake as the most hilariously inappropriate attempt at cashing in on a popular name. As children gleefully play with the creature and pretend that they're on a spaceship, it's easy to forget that they're recreating a film that featured acid blood and Chestbursters.
In a way, the 1979 Alien toy heralded an oncoming wave of children's merchandise for violent R-rated movies that would arrive in the next two decades. Despite MPAA restrictions, toy and media companies seized on the popularity of properties meant for mature audiences. Commando and the Rambo movies, both featuring a staggering body count, received action figures to market their films' gun-toting protagonists. The ridiculously ultra-violent Robocop and The Toxic Avenger received children's cartoon series. Notorious child killer Freddy Krueger had his own hotline, complete with a straight-faced disclaimer in the commercial: "Children, get your parents' permission before you dial."
The Alien action figure, though, acted as a trial run for the rest of these attempts at expanding consumer bases. Toy company Kenner had enjoyed massive success from their Star Wars line, whose plastic figurines became iconic pieces of cultural history and which established the financial potential of movie tie-in products. Kenner decided to try to capitalize on the success of another science-fiction tentpole blockbuster in 1979, perhaps not realizing the radical difference in tone and content.
The 1979 Alien Toy Commercial That Feels Like a Joke
The commercial for Kenner's Alien toy plays out exactly like what the company thought its target audience would find appealing. A group of boys runs around a house, closing the "airlock" windows and trying to escape from the menace of the Xenomorph, who at this point in the franchise's legacy is just referred to as "Alien." It's the deliciously naive juvenile pretending to be the alien that truly makes the ad spot stand out, though, dramatically reenacting the Xenomorph's killer instincts with gnashing of teeth and prepubescent, high-pitched snarls.
"Give up!" the kid hisses in his best attempt at menace. "Alien can't be beat!" he tells his helpless victims, a reminder of the overbearing dread that the crew of the Nostromo realizes after they discover that the predatory creature has corrosive blood that can melt through skin. "Heh heh," the Xenomorph-child snickers, as if he's a cartoon version of a James Bond villain and not a mindless killing machine. "Another triumph for Alien!" he triumphantly declares.
Unsurprisingly, the commercial stirred the ire of parents who claimed the toy was too scary for their children and demanded that it be pulled from shelves. Luckily for the marketing team, no one seemed to point out the dark sexual undertones in H.R. Giger's design of the creature. Poor sales eventually led to a discontinuation of the product, although Kenner returned to the franchise in a 1990s line that had more success. The company's commercial for its Alien tie-in attempt remains a relic of the strange crossroads between horror cinema and blockbuster merchandise.