Magic Moon-Trek Kit (1969)
An advert for Continental Chicken Noodle Soup appeared in Australian Women's Weekly, 21st May 1969, inviting you to "Play Magic Moon-Trek".
Robert Kerton had been telling me for years that he remembered a Lunar Base Panorama transfers promotion that was for neither Shredded Wheat Moon Battle nor Bata Wayfinders Moonshot shoes, & as usual I went into my customary "Occam's Razor says NO" routine.
But then he finally saw an image of this promotion in an obscure corner of the Internet…
Having been tipped off to the existence of this ad, I kept a sharp look-out for this issue, & eventually a copy turned up. We communicated with the owner, & sure enough Robert was able to get hold of it — & scan it for the SPLAT Scan Archives.
Original scans courtesy of Robert Kerton
"Hey Kids! Make a Moon-Trek map complete with spacemen, monsters and spacecraft. It's fun and it's simple! Just cut out this map and make an exciting space picture using the Magic Moon-Trek kits inside every Continental brand Chicken Noodle Soup Twin Pack. Every Moon-Trek pack of Continental brand Chicken Noodle Soup has magic stick-down figures of spacemen, monsters, rockets and space weapons to help you make a thrilling outer-space picture. You can make up a picture of space battles, rocket landings, spaceship launchings… anything you like. So ask Mum to bring home Moon Trek packs of delicious Continental brand Chicken Noodle Soup so you can get your map started. Pretty soon all the kids in your galaxy will be making Moon-Trek Maps — so start playing Moon-Trek now! If you'd like a second moon map then write to Rosella Foods Pty. Ltd., Box 4326, G.P.O., Sydney, N.S.W., enclosing a 5¢ stamp and you'll receive one free!"
Speaking as a kid who was in the same galaxy at the time, I was not making Moon-Trek Maps. Advertisers, eh? And the term "Trek" was very popular in Australia (& the UK) in 1969 on account of Star Trek airing there that year.
Original scan courtesy of Robert Kerton
So it seems the modified section (by the cropping & the simple addition of an actual moonbase, almost certainly not by Patrick Tilley) of the Lunar Base Panorama printed in the magazine is your background. Presumably, sending off for another 'moon map' will result in your being sent another identical print — unfortunately, not the full 3-foot Panorama. It might have been more suitable paper for the application of transfers, though!
Robert says:
"I don't recall what I did end up applying my transfers to. I don't think I would have even known about the Moon Map in the Women's Weekly as that wasn't something Mum read. Maybe there was a point of sale map that I used."
It might be nice to find one of those, one of these days, but the chances are pretty slim after all these years!
The Transfer Sheet:
It would be natural to assume that the transfers supplied by Letraset Australia for this promotion would be the same sheet as was used earlier for the Shredded Wheat Moon Battle & later for the Bata Wayfinders Moonshot shoes. But how many times must Occam's Razor fail me before I learn my lesson?
Looking at the bottom right-hand side of the ad, we can see a blue sheet with white transfers; so far so good. Unfortunately, although those transfers are clearly from the Lunar Base Panorama, they're not identical to the sheet used elsewhere. And if we look at the appalling 'artist's re-interpretation' to the left of the packets, we can see that three of the figures could be from the familiar sheet, but for the other two figures — not so.
This gives us three possibilities:
- There was more than one sheet all along (the other sheets just being very good at hiding)
- Letraset produced a new sheet specifically for this promotion (— as if!)
- Letraset supplied a full Lunar Base sheet to the advertising company for reference; they used that, not the actual promo sheet.
Personally, I find the third option the most compelling. Occam's Razor is a useful tool for a reason!
The Magazine:
Here's the cover of The Australian Women's Weekly, 21st May 1969, in case you'd like to look out for your own copy:
Original photo courtesy of mmmcinnes
In the previous week's issue, dated 14th May 1969, we're given advance warning:
"NEXT WEEK • … • Learn how to play Magic Moon Trek."
Original photo courtesy of mmmcinnes
• Next "Food Promotions" Page: Brooke Bond Magic Chimps Game (& the Tipps Family) →
← Free Gift Transfers in Food Promotions
← Lunar Base Panorama
← Shredded Wheat Moon Battle
← Bata Wayfinders Moonshot shoes