How Mr. Potato Head Changed the Advertising Business

(via Atlas Obscura) In the 1950s, both television and toys were striking out in bold new directions. Television commercials were rapidly becoming the leading form of advertising, assuming dominance over radio. At the same time, a number of soon-to-be classic toys were making their way to market, including the frisbee, Barbie dolls, and the era-defining hula hoop. But in 1952, before all of those, Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head hit store shelves.