The Classic Toy “ Mr. Potato Head” Would Never Become a Success in Today ' s Overprotective Society

by: Geoff Ficke

The Classic Toy “ Mr. Potato Head” Would Never

Become a Success in Today’ s Overprotective Society

In the behind 1940’ s a Brooklyn - based inventor named George Lerner began to venture to license a toy concept he had developed. The idea was to take pieces of fruit and vegetables and dress them with human facial features made from inconsiderable adaptable parts. The goal was to enable kids to create comical faces on their veggies.

Mr. Lerner shopped the concept to many toy companies. None were engrossed. After the hardship and shortages of World Struggle II, it was understanding that the resulting waste of food from decorating perishables with witty shaped eyes, brows, ears and lips would be practical as simple. Nevertheless, the inventor was amorous of his prototype and plodded onward.

After several years of making no progress with toy manufacturers in his tension to license the product George Lerner was fundamentally successful in selling the many-sided parts as a premium promotion for cereal producers. While thrilled to fundamentally have his creation in children’ s hands, albeit as a give - away, Mr. Lerner long to accredit that his next with the item zone in the toy world. He kept pitching to toy companies.

In 1951 Lerner introduced the product to a small manufacturer just inpouring the toy band: Hassenfeld Brothers. They agreed to license the product and launch it as a stand - alone toy. Mr. Potato Head was born. The starting kit came with a set of multiple facial parts that could be mixed and calm by children to create comic, sorrowful, silly facial expressions when the parts were stuck onto vegetables. Potatoes became the favorite body to build the faces on. Parents supplied the potatoes.

Mr. Potato Head was such a huge success that it became the first toy product ever advertised instanter to children. It provided the impetus for a Saturday morning block of children’ s television programming that became universal in every home in America. In the 1960’ s a dexterous potato body was included in the set at the rule of the superintendence. Brother Spud, Spare Yam and the Spud - ette’ s were introduced by the licensee. Hassenfeld Brothers had evolved into Hasbro and Mr. Potato Head was properly credited with supplying the launching pad for one of America’ s great toy companies.

Hasbro has done an amazing job of placing Mr. Potato Head in the classic Pixar - produced Toy Story movies, comic strips and television series.

In the 1970’ s, one of America’ s most boyfriend toy franchises came increasingly under the paternalistic gaze of the Public Curb. For two decades children had come to love creating goofy faces and expressions for their Mr. Potato Head’ s. Suddenly the clout began to take note that Mr. Potato Head contained small, sharp parts that had to be pushed into the body of the toy. Lawyers took note as well.

Through the senescence Mr. Potato Edge has undergone legion redesigns in method to keep at in compliance with ever changing regulations. The composition of the a scream - face parts has been redesigned several times to eliminate points and sour edges. The pieces have been exponentially remote to minimize the chance for swallowing. The able potato body is drawing near the size of a soccer ball.

I played with Mr. Potato End as a child. So did my six brothers and sisters and the hundreds of kids in my locality in the 1950’ s. Somehow we all survived.

Mr. Potato Spire survives despite a virgin society that has become frighteningly stake - averse. My marketing consulting and product development Jungle reviews many toy and game products every lifetime. One of the most common reasons we decline offerings is since we are most aware of the toy industry’ s fear of product liability and litigation issues. Many of these products would have been workable 50 caducity ago. Today they will not even be considered. It makes me harsh that a product review of Mr. Potato Head, conducted in 2011, would halfway most assuredly product in a accommodation of decline for this classic.

Mr. Potato Head is a betrothed children’ s toy and will live on to evolve to keep up in compliance with the whims of the nanny state. I want every child safe. Safety can never be compromised. In the 21st century, however, if Mr. Potato Head did not exist, it would find a much more problematic road to store shelves than it did in the 1950’ s. I fear we would never have known the toy. I know that millions of children would have enjoyed a much less whimsical virginity without this simple, happy, ingenious product.