MR. POTATO HEAD

MR. POTATO HEAD: TV’S FIRST TOY SUPERSTAR

The Mr. Potato head toy was created in 1949 by George Lerner, first distributed and sold by the toy company Hasbro in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Originally the game only came with the plastic facial features and accessories while children used real potatoes or other fruits/ vegetables. The product did not get officially released until 1952 when Lerner sold the idea to the Hassenfeld Brothers, later known as Hasbro. Mr. Potato Head holds the revolutionary title of the first toy advertised on television and the first ad marketed directly to children instead of parents. The extremely successful ad led to over 1 million sets sold in the first year alone. 

Box of Hasbro Mr. Potato Head toy featuring a cartoon illustration of Mr. Potato Head with a large mustache, blue eyes, a blue hat, and a blue shirt. The box shows a smiling child holding a Mr. Potato Head and advertises that it includes two plastic bodies and 25 features.
Box of Hasbro Mr. Potato Head toy featuring a cartoon illustration of Mr. Potato Head with a large mustache, blue eyes, a blue hat, and a blue shirt. The box shows a smiling child holding a Mr. Potato Head and advertises that it includes two plastic bodies and 25 features.
A vintage advertisement for Hasbro's top ten toys, featuring Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head with a background of various toy packaging and descriptions.

FROM REAL POTATOES TO PLASTIC PERFECTION

Due to concerns about waste and practicality, Hasbro later redesigned the toy to include a plastic potato body. Using real potatoes proved inconvenient, messy, and unpopular with parents. The company also adjusted the design for safety by dulling the plastic pins, making the pieces very difficult for the kids to stick in real potatoes. Including the plastic potato solved all of the issues and made the toy even more popular.

Toy figure with a large head, wearing a small green hat, yellow raincoat, and green boots, with exaggerated facial features including a mustache, glasses, and a pipe.
Toy figure with a large head, wearing a small green hat, yellow raincoat, and green boots, with exaggerated facial features including a mustache, glasses, and a pipe.
A vintage Mr. Potato Head funny-face kit box featuring a large photo of a potato with facial features made from various fruits or vegetables, and smaller illustrations of different face parts like a pepper, a cherry, an orange, and an apple. The box has bright yellow and red colors with playful fonts and states it is for all the family.