Every Tech Deck Dude Advertisement (Print & TV)

Print Advertisements (2000-2002):

The dudes were marketed in parody movie posters in MAD Magazine and cut-out cards in Sports Illustrated Kids. 

I'm unsure if there were more print ads for the toy line. But, this is a solid plan. Mock ads in the most popular spoof magazine and trading cards (similar to player cards) for the sports magazines. 

"Enter the Dragon" parody ad (Sep 2001, MAD)

Print Ad (Nov 2001, MAD)

Print Ad (Dec 2001, MAD)

Print Ads also included cut-out cardboard cards in Sports Illustrated Kids: 

The first set came out in early 2001 to promote the plug-feet dudes originally released in 2000.

Notably, Nick, Flake, Tank, and Flake's pictures on the back of these cards are unreleased. 

The actual versions were slightly different, and Nick's first release wore black and a red mask/belt. Although he did eventually get a blue variant in the Deluxe Crew 3, with a white mask not blue.

The second set of cards came out in 2001 to promote the Magna Series/magnetic feet dudes as most of the dudes (except for Fu Man) are from the then-new crews (crews 4-6).

 

The final set of 9 cards came out in 2002 after Crew 11 was released. 

Card fronts included 1 dude from 9 crews (Crews 3-11)

 

Card backs include all 6 dudes and dudettes per crew (crews 3-11)

Tech Deck Giant RC Lenny (licensed to Toys Island) appeared in the Sears Christmas Book (2002):

Surprisingly, this is the only time I ever saw Tech Deck Dudes featured in a store's holiday catalog (I searched for SEARS, JCPenney, and Target). Likewise, this only highlight in a store catalog was not for an X-Concepts LLC/Tech Deck regular dude, but instead for Toy Island's RC which X-Concepts/Tech Deck would have granted a license to make. 

Most licensed toys and bigger brands (Lego, Hasbro, Jakks, Spin Master, Bandai, Mattel) take up the lying share of store catalogs. So, it's not shocking the dudes did not get much love in store catalogs. 

X-Concepts, which owned the Tech Deck brand from 1998-2006, certainly was a much smaller company with a lower budget.

I'll have to peruse Toys R Us or KB Toys catalogs. Perhaps the dudes appeared in some of these? 

TV Advertisements:

Watch Every Single Ad Here, keeping links below as back-ups in case this compilation is deleted: 

G1 TV Ads (2002): 

Original and Magnetic Series (2001): The first Dude Ad was released. The ad highlights original plug-feet dudes and the new dudes with magnetic boards and rollable boards: Click Here!

The Magnetic Series (2002): This ad features cheesy spy music and says the popular toy marketing phrase, "You can collect them all!"Click Here!

New Guys (2002): Towards the end of G1, there was an ad to debut some of the "New Guys" in later crews, the 2002 Deluxe Crews, and The Creatures line.  Click Here!

G2 TV Ads (2003): 

Downhill Race Challenge (Late 2002- Early 2003): The first ad with G2 figures, promoted the DownHill challenge playset with Sumo San & Lenny: Click Here! 

Launch-A-Dude/Creatures/Hot Feet/Magnetic Series Mishmash (Late 2002- Early 2003): The next G2 ad was also a play-set ad, which also introduced Duke as the dude brand spokesman. While Billy would serve as the Evolution Series logo, Duke would speak in ads to promote the various lines throughout 2003-2006. Even though the ad promotes the G2 Launch-A-Dude set (which came with Tek or Dave), it also mentions the new Creatures line. However, the commercial also plugs the G1 Magna Series and Hot Feet Crew. I think this was done just to give the G1 toys one last ad to hype up demand and clear remaining inventory while X-Concepts shifted the line into G2. Click Here!

Tech Deck Dude G2 Ad (2003): Introduces dudes with Arms and the new trading card games: Click Here!

G3 TV Ads (2004-2007): 

Tech Deck Dude Bare Knuckle Grind Video Game (2004): Click Here!

Tech Deck Dude G3 Ad (2004): Highlights the G3 Dudes with Bendable Arms: Click Here!

Magnetic Action Series (2004-2005): Highlights the Spec-Ops, Astro-Nots, and Scuba Squad figures and their extra magnets/accessories. It also plugs the Big Bounce playset. Click Here!

Clash Cubes Ad (Late 2005): Introduces the Clash Cubes game. Click Here! 

The Tech Deck Dude Vanformer Ad (2007): This final TDD ad featured Clobber, the first ad to not feature Duke since 2003,Click Here! Clobber came with the playset so this makes sense, but the ad also features the Zoods Series 4 dudes interacting with the set (without their Zoods).

It's a YouTube oldie since the ad is on the Tech Deck Youtube channel! While the ad was uploaded in July 2008, the ad was on television in late 2007 when the Vanformer Action Set was released and would continue to play on TV into 2008.

There were no G4 advertisements highlighting the Spin Master plug-feet dudes. By 2008 the line was on life support, and it would be canceled with a final set of 6 packs and a final single pack crew in early 2009.