The Rise and Fall of the Toy Industry

Mr. Potato Head was actually the first toy marketed directly to children through a commercial and that was in 1952. Even three years later when the Mickey Mouse Club was starting television show was starting, this sort of marketing was still not really being considered as a viable option for toy companies. This is a very early era of television. But Ruth took a huge chance. She paid a whopping $500,000 and that's roughly $5 million today to be the only the show's only advertiser with the commercial. The commercial was hugely successful and sent Mattel's profits skyrocketing while also setting a precedent for toy advertising that companies continue to follow today.