90 Years Young, We’re Still Delivering the Playful Experiences Our Founders Envisioned — Every Single Day

By Chuck Scothon, SVP of Fisher-Price and Global Head of Infant and Preschool, Mattel

In 1930, Fisher-Price^® was founded on the belief that the world needed better toys. Our founders, Herman Fisher, Irving Price and Helen Schelle, launched the brand with the mission of making childhood more fun. Ninety years later, that philosophy lives on, and we continue to look for ways to create playful connections between children and the grownups in their lives.

Today, in celebration of our 90^th anniversary, we announced the grand opening of the Fisher-Price^™ Toy Museum, a first-of-its-kind virtual experience which enables visitors to relive their favorite childhood toys through a curated exhibition. The museum features more than 90 different exhibits and, in honor of the launch, I wanted to take a moment to share nine significant facts about the brand and defining moments in our history. 

1. Global Presence – Fisher-Price is the #1 infant, toddler, and preschool toy manufacturer in the world, according to NPD.* Our products are sold in 150 countries and translated into 34 languages.

2. Inventing New Categories – We introduced new categories for the first time, such as preschool toys in 1934 and licensed toys in 1935 with Mickey Mouse and Popeye products.

3. Year-Round Toys – We turned toys into a year-round business with the introduction of Easter toys in 1936. 

4. Supporting War Efforts – During World War II, we stopped making toys and started fulfilling defense contracts, manufacturing items including aircraft parts and medical supply crates. 

5. Launching Iconic Toys – The Corn Popper^™, which was first released in 1957, is the longest running production toy in our portfolio.
   
   The Rock-A-Stack^® made its first appearance in 1960 and, in 2020, we introduced a version of the toy made from sugarcane-based plastics.
   
   And, the Chatter Telephone^®, first introduced in 1963, is the only rotary dial phone currently manufactured anywhere. It was immortalized in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 3” in 2010, which led to a resurgence in popularity of the classic toy.

6. Little People^® Legacy – The Little People line, first introduced in 1959, was originally called “Fisher-Price Play Family.” Many of the figures within the line are inspired by employees, designers’ kids and local East Aurora, N.Y., town heroes. In 2019, we introduced Little People Collector, starting with character sets based on KISS and The Beatles, and we recently expanded the line to include sets for Lord of the Rings and Elf. And, earlier this year, we memorialized frontline healthcare workers and the everyday heroes keeping communities up and running during the COVID-19 pandemic through the #ThankYouHeroes Little People Community Champions.

7. First-Ever Play Lab – We formalized on-site toy testing with the Fisher-Price Play Lab, the first facility of its kind in the industry, which opened in 1961. Today, we have more than 15,000 square feet of research space on campus and continue to test every toy before it hits shelves.

8. First On-Shelf Retail Plan for Toys – In 1964, we were the first in the toy industry to develop a planogram for retail partners to envision what our products would look like on store shelves.

9. First Integration of Audio / Video into Toys – We introduced audio-visual elements into toys for the first time in 1979 with the Fisher-Price Phonograph.

​I’ll never forget visiting my grandparents’ home when I was young and digging the old toy box out of the attic to play with my favorite toy – the Fisher-Price Farm. I still smile when I remember the animals, Little People characters and the barn door that mooed. And, I know that I am not the only one with this type of story. Almost everyone I meet has a memory of their own to share of how Fisher-Price toys – from the Bubble Mower and Crazy Daisy to the Tape Recorder and the Alphabet Magnet Letters to a variety of other classics – shaped their childhood.

We have an incredible heritage and it is one we don’t take for granted. While we reflect on the past 90 years, we are looking forward to the next nine decades and beyond, and the impact we will continue to have on children all over the world. We continue to focus on delivering the playful experiences our founders envisioned, every single day. 

 

 

 

 

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Title: Play Family Farm / Medium: Big Red Barn, Doors that Moo When You Open Them, Assorted Play Family Members/Animals / Date: 1968 Running the Play Family Farm would have kept you BUSY. Between taking care of the horse, cow, sheep, pig, dog, and two chickens, it’d be easy to forget that this farm was the #1 toy in America in 1968! And that several versions of it were created over the next 50 years. Whoo-ee! But you couldn’t dwell on that long because you’d need to get that big red barn and silo in order with your Play Family Kids. This Play Family Farm couldn’t run on imagination alone. Or maybe it could!

A post shared by Fisher-Price Toy Museum (@fisherprice.toymuseum) on Oct 11, 2020 at 5:33pm PDT

* Source: The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service/G12/Jan-Aug 2020/Projected USD