Slinky, Etch-a-Sketch, Mr. Potato Head; Toy Story

tch-a-Sketch, Mr. Potato Head; Toy Story I am a testament to the power of the product placement in Toy Story. But I’ll get to that in a minute. When the movie came out in 1995, classic toys like Mr. Potato Head and Slinky weren’t doing so great. After being featured as characters in the Pixar/Disney film, sales soared immediately. Etch-a-Sketch saw a 4500% boost. Slinkys were no longer being produced because they weren’t profitable. Post-Toy Story, Slinky received 20,000 orders, which revitalized the company. Mr. Potato Head sales jumped 800%. And that’s where I come in. I am a sucker for those big displays at Disney World and Disneyland where you can go through the bin of Potato Head parts and shove as many will fit into a box for $19. I have a ridiculous number of parts, from Tinkerbell’s wings to Dumbo’s ears to Cruella DeVil’s purse. That’s double branding right there. Genius.