While studying at The Open University, I write what I like (like Steve Biko's book!) Creative, engaging content that showcases what I know already and what I yearn to learn!
Who remembers this little fellow in the picture? Yes, it's Mr Potato Head from Toy Story! But did you know that on this day in 1952, Mr Potato Head was the first television toy to be advertised? It sold 1 million units in the first year and encouraged kids to play with their food. (𝙎𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 😂) Mr Potato Head became a part of Disney's culture when he starred in Disney's Toy Story Franchise (1995, 1999, 2010, 2019), voiced by the late Don Rickles, who died two years before Toy Story 4 was released. In 2004, a pair of Potato Heads (Mr and Mrs) sold for $8,000. The Potato Heads were created by Jay Strongwater (a jewellery designer), who made the figures out of 50,000 Swarovski crystals in 17 different colour varieties. Since Hasbro acquired the brand, Mr Potato Head continues diversifying with variations such as Optimash Prime, Darth Pater and Taters of the Lost Ark. In 2021, they dropped the Mr from the brand's name to appear more inclusive, and kids could be more "𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙" gender-neutral. By doing this, they released a family of potato heads, and you could make two fathers or two mothers. So there we have it, the origins of Mr Potato Head. #advertising #culture #inclusionanddiversity #marketing #potatoes #television 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗣𝗶𝘅𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘆
