Buzz
The holiday season is synonymous with toy commercials, but in the mid-20th century, marketing to kids was a novel idea. To glimpse this era, watch the vintage ad for Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head above.
When Mr. Potato Head launched in 1952, buyers had to supply their own potato. Instead of a pre-made plastic body, the kit included nearly 30 parts—hands, feet, ears, mouths, eyes, noses, and accessories—to attach to a potato or other vegetables. Priced at just 98 cents, it was a creative and affordable toy.
Unlike traditional dolls, Mr. Potato Head required some imagination. Hasbro pioneered TV advertising for toys, a groundbreaking move that sold over 1 million units in its debut year and inspired competitors to follow suit.
This classic commercial from the early 1960s showcases Mr. Potato Head and his newly introduced partner, Mrs. Potato Head, before a significant redesign. In 1964, the toy evolved to include a plastic, potato-shaped body with pre-drilled holes for attaching limbs and facial features. This innovation eliminated the need for sharp accessories to pierce real potatoes, sparing parents from discovering decaying vegetables in their kids' rooms. While the update was a practical improvement, the nostalgic charm of using random produce for playtime, as seen in the ad above, remains undeniable.
