Hasbro is giving its venerable Mr. Potato Head toy a more gender-inclusive identity, eliminating “Mr.” your brand and packaging.
“Hasbro is ensuring that everyone feels welcome in the world of Potato Head by officially withdrawing Mr. from the Mr. Potato Head brand and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion,” the company said in a statement on Thursday .
After announcing the change, the company issued a statement of clarification on Twitter saying that the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head would retain their individual courtesy titles.
“Hold this Tot – your main potato, MR. BATATO HEAD is not going anywhere! ”, Said the company. “Although it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand and logo are setting aside the ‘MR.’ I am proud to confirm that MR. & WL. POTATO HEAD is not going anywhere and will remain MR. & WL. POTATO HEAD.”
In the fall, the company will present its new “Potato Family Pack”, which will encourage children to “raise their Potato Head family”. The package will come with two large potato bodies, a small potato body and 42 accessories.
The brand name change will be accompanied by “an extravagant color palette and more inclusive messages,” said the company.
Rich Ferraro, the main communications provider for Glaad, an LGBT advocacy organization, applauded the change, saying it was part of “a greater movement towards greater diversity and inclusion in toys and media aimed at children”.
Hasbro is the latest toy maker to update or reinvent some of its classic brands to make them more inclusive and diverse.
Last year, Mattel launched several new Barbie dolls that it described as its “most diverse line”, one that featured “more skin tones, hair types and body shapes than ever before”.
One doll is bald, another has a prosthetic limb and another has dark hair combed away from her face to show that she has vitiligo.
In 2019, Mattel launched a new line of customizable gender-neutral dolls, called Creatable World, which allows “children to create their characters”. The box includes several wardrobe options, accessories and wigs so that children can style the dolls “with short or long hair, or with a skirt, pants or both”.
In 2016, Mattel announced that it was expanding its Thomas the Tank Engine franchise, adding more female characters and friends from countries like India, Brazil and Mexico. And American Girl, the 18-inch doll maker, unveiled a boy doll in 2017.
Mr. Potato Head has been a toy with Hasbro’s signature since it was launched in 1952. The company said it was the first toy to be advertised on television.
The toy, which allows children to exchange different parts like eyes, mustaches, glasses and hats, has long been associated with Rhode Island, where Hasbro is headquartered. Over the years, the toy appeared in parades, campaigns and even on state license plates.