Spud pressure
Hasbro appears to want to have it both ways: expand the brand, while not killing off its most iconic characters, which appeared in the “Toy Story” films.
“They are looking to broaden the franchise,” said Robert Passikoff, founder of marketing consultancy Brand Keys.
“You take the focus of what is essentially one character and now allow it to be a platform for many characters.”
Kimberly Boyd, a senior vice president at Hasbro, said the intention of the brand name change was to be more inclusive and to have the characters still live within the Potato Head universe.
“It created a lot of excitement,” she said about the reaction.
GLAAD, an LGBTQ advocacy group, applauded the more inclusive Potato play set.
“Hasbro is helping kids to simply see toys as toys, which encourages them to be their authentic selves outside of the pressures of traditional gender norms,” said Rich Ferraro, GLAAD’S chief communications officer, in a statement.
Many toymakers have been updating their classic brands in recent years, hoping to relate to today’s kids and reflect more modern families.
“It’s a potato,” said Ali Mierzejewski, editor in chief at toyreview site The Toy Insider, about the new play set.
“But kids like to see themselves in the toys they are playing with.”
Barbie, for example, has tried to shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes.
The Thomas the Tank Engine toy line added more girl characters. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.
Mr. Potato Head first hit the toy scene in 1952, when it didn’t even come with a plastic potato — kids had to supply their own vegetable to poke eyes, a nose or mustache into.
Hasbro, which also makes Monopoly and My Little Pony, bought the brand and eventually added a plastic spud for the toy collection.