Captain Company and the Lost Era of Magazine Marketing

When we look at the modern world of marketing we sometimes lose a little bit of our history of marketing. That is probably because most people who love learning about marketing want to learn new techniques of marketing so as to properly promote a business for the purpose of profit. Hey, there is nothing wrong with this but sometimes it is also fun to look back at long lost champions of marketing who are no longer well remembered these days??¦if they are even remembered at all. One such classic marketing campaign was the one promoted by the Captain Company in the 1960’s and 1970’s when it capitalized on the “monster boom” of the era(s).


In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, the old Universal horror films were released to syndication and UHF stations aired these classic films to enthusiastic audiences on weekend afternoons and evenings. This popularity led to the launching of a wonderful movie magazine called FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND. FM kept the love of these horror films alive and helped make horror films a weekend staple well into the late 1970’s until, well, people began getting bored of seeing these same films and new generation of kids weren’t being grabbed by horror films. But, during the heyday of these films there was rabid enthusiasm for horror films and horror related items. This is where the Captain Company filled a huge marketing void through the advertising pages of FAMOUS MONSTERS.

Basically, the Captain Company sold via mail order a ton of horror movie related products to a massively loyal audience that couldn’t get enough of these tie in products. These products included books, Super 8mm films, model kits, posters, Halloween masks, novelty albums and a ton of other items. Basically, if you were a kid who dug classic horror movie memorabilia the Captain Company was the number one provider and its longevity was nothing short of amazing.

What is most unique about the success of the Captain Company was the fact that it survived for so long. While it is understandable how reruns of the films would remain popular it is nothing sort of shocking how such massive volumes of tie in merchandise were still selling well into the late 1970’s. Much of the reason for this was the Captain Company’s unique ads that promoted monster “stuff” as the coolest thing in the world and this kept kids sending off their money orders for these great items. Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever and the horror fad faded and interest in tie in merchandise waned to nothingness. But, for a time it was incredibly popular and even more incredibly cool!

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