In 1952, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy ever advertised on television—and the first commercial aimed directly at children. It changed the way companies marketed to young audiences.

The toy was originally created in 1949 by George Lerner, who designed a set of plastic facial features meant to be stuck into real vegetables. But concerns about food waste made it a hard sell.

Then Hasbro (then Hassenfeld Brothers) stepped in. They bought the rights, added a plastic potato body, and made a bold move: they targeted kids, not parents, in their TV ads. The result? Over one million kits sold in the first year—and a new era in advertising was born.