Astronauts? Moon?

May I have 55 words with you? (Or perhaps a few more?)

The New York Times’ Stuart Elliott reminded me today that the 40th anniversary of Americans’ first walk on the moon is July 20. Covering the upcoming event in his column, Elliot collected a number of companies and brands that are celebrating the anniversary to make points and move products.

Elliott highlights Louis Vuitton luggage as one of these celebrants – in which the company uses the Annie Liebowitz photo above as part of a print ad campaign. It's a superb picture. Even more enjoyable: Louis Vuitton Journeys is now running a purpose-built video tribute, featuring the same three astronauts as in the Liebowitz picture: Sally Ride, Buzz Aldrin and Jim Lovell.

In 1969, I was already in the service. I recall feeling pretty proud that Neil Armstrong, the first human to set foot on the moon, was a former Navy officer. It’s a thrill to see the anniversary roll up on us, even if I wasn’t paying proper attention.

I have to laugh about what might have caused Elliott to inquire about Tang, though.

His column ends with a comment about the famously connected breakfast drink, which NASA started using for space flights in 1965: “We in fact have no plans” for ads about the moon landing, said Bridget MacConnell, a spokeswoman for Kraft Foods, which sells Tang. “The focus for our powdered beverages right now is on Crystal Light and Kool-Aid.”

Does Elliott have a lingering ritualistic attachment to “Coneheads,” the 1993 Dan Akroyd-Jane Curtin movie? One of its most famous bits starts with the Coneheads’ daughter (played by Michelle Burke):

Connie: I think I'll have some Tang. Prymatt Conehead: Ah Tang, the drink astronauts took to the moon. Beldar Conehead: Astronauts to the moon? [Beldar and Prymatt laugh]

Forty years back, Tang’s connection with the US space program was being advertised to sell product. What’s different now? Well, our astronauts could take along a better brand of luggage today.