Why MTV used NASA's Apollo 11 footage for its iconic launch intro
What do Teen Mom, Jackass, Beavis and Butt-Head, and Celebrity Deathmatch all have in common? Well, apart from all being follow-up programs for MTV Cribs, they've all also been welcomed onto the screen by Buzz Aldrin.
Yes, MTV programs have all been supported by NASA and Apollo 11 icon Buzz Aldrin, as the television platform has used the iconic space footage of the second man on the moon in its launch intros.
In fact, the first-ever sequence that aired on MTV back in 1981 saw Aldrin's likeness plant the MTV flag on the moon, a staple feature of the channel ever since.
Yet the reason why is lesser-known to the public and the countless celebrities that have hoisted the 'Moon Man' trophy.
What links MTV and NASA's Apollo 11?
It's one of the most iconic photos of all time, but the first picture of men on the moon shows Buzz Aldrin's figure turning to face the camera held by Neil Armstrong.
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The footage, also captured in video form, has always been free to use for all creative purposes as part of the public domain, and MTV chose to use it for their branding.
According to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, MTV founder Bob Pittman claimed that the channel intended to be 'a network that would be about the network, rather than the individual programs,' and wanted to lead with the legendary slogan of 'That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'
However, having appealed to NASA and Armstrong's lawyers about using his quote, building their marketing and promotional decks before hearing back, MTV was blocked from adding the words to their slogan.
Instead, the intro was released without the words and simply saw an astronaut resembling Aldrin planting the MTV flag on the moon instead.
That clip ran for every hour for five years and continues to sporadically feature today.
Although nowadays, the 'Moon Man' has a different meaning for MTV.
A worthwhile trophy
Having introduced the Video Music Awards (VMAs) just a few years later, championing the best of the best in the music video medium, MTV even decided to use its newfound mascot as the likeness for the coveted award.
Some 42 years after the first ceremony, in which the winners consisted of icons like Michael Jackson and David Bowie, the Moon Man trophy continues to be hoisted by the likes of Ariana Grande and Lady Gaga.
"The whole idea was, the statue had to be balancing on one leg, like anti-gravity and floating,” said trophy creator Pat Gorman.
While the trophy has been remade many times, lining the cabinets of the legends of the music industry, MTV made a special one that even traveled to space, as Pepsi paid to have a VMA award statue flown to the Russian Mir space station, which featured in a live broadcast during the award ceremony in 1996.
From what was once just a free-to-use gimmick, the Moon Man is now a legend.