Mr. Potato Head Becomes First Toy Ever Televised (in 1952)

The iconic Mr. Potato Head toy was first manufactured in 1952. Originally conceived and designed as plastic pieces to be inserted into a real potato, complaints over moldy vegetables soon led to the inclusion of a plastic potato body. The toy’s popularity resulted in further members of the Potato Head family being introduced, as well as the character’s appearance in films such as the Toy Story franchise, Burger King advertisements and on children’s television shows. In 2008 the character was also featured as one of the giant helium balloons at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The manufacturers, Hasbro Inc., made two key innovations with Mr. Potato Head’s marketing campaign.

1. It was the first children’s toy to ever be advertised on television; although this was a novelty in itself, it is unsurprising that advertising would take advantage of the new televised media form as it came into maturity.

2. More significantly, however, Mr. Potato Head was marketed directly at children, meaning the campaign was the first example of using television advertising to directly encourage children to request certain products from their parents. And thus, ‘pester power’ was born.

With more than one million units sold within the first year, Hasbro’s innovative marketing was a clear success.