Today is: National Mr. Potato Head Day

News-Messenger/News Jounral
·1 min read
This photo provided by Hasbro shows the new Potato Head world. Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister. Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender neutral new name: Potato Head.
This photo provided by Hasbro shows the new Potato Head world. Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister. Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender neutral new name: Potato Head.

George Lerner of Brooklyn came up with the idea for a "funny face man." Lerner eventually convinced a company to add plastic facial parts to cereal boxes as prizes and sold his idea to them for $5,000. Shortly thereafter, in 1951, he showed his idea to Henry and Merrill Hassenfeld, who had a toy and school supply business called Hassenfeld Brothers (now known as Hasbro).

On April 30, 1952, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy advertised on television. Its advertisement was also the first television advertisement aimed at children and not parents. It was a transformative moment because it changed the way marketing was done, and children continued to be directly targeted after it. The anniversary of this date became National Mr. Potato Head Day. Hasbro has recently dropped the Mister and just changed the name to Potato Head.

Source: Checkiday.com.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Today is: National Mr. Potato Head Day