(Reuters) – Hasbro Inc announced Thursday that it was renaming the well-known brand Mr. Potato Head to Mr. ‘, giving a less gender-based identity on the “Potato Head” line.
The toy, originally launched seventy years ago, can be decorated with various plastic parts that can be attached to a plastic spud. Hasbro this fall will be launching a “Create Your Potato Head Family” package, called “a celebration of many family faces”.
One image on the box shows a figure with a mustache and nose that is pink, a color often associated with women.
Toy companies have been adapting classic logos to reflect public calls respecting and supporting diversity in U.S. culture.
Potato Head and Potato Head will still be sold.
“This is a great move for Hasbro,” said Allen Adamson, co-founder of branding company Metaforce.
“I think this change shows that Hasbro is not just taking care of old brands and trying to do the same old, the same old thing every year, but they are for- really understands that logos need to be redesigned, repeated and kept new. ”
Barbie at Rival Mattel has introduced new series of dolls in a variety of skin styles, body shapes and professions, stepping away from their classic blonde image in the last few years, and American Girl a boy of his dolls launched four years ago.
Reporting by Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Edited by Subhranshu Sahu