Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Aromatic Marketing

I love Play-Doh. Growing up as an only child, I gravitated towards toys that could be entertaining and didn't require 2-4 players. I often joke about playing Battleship by myself, but that's a story for another day...

Play-Doh is a timeless toy. It transcends age. You won't see many adults playing with Barbies or GI Joes, unless a small child is around, but it is completely acceptable to play with Play-Doh your entire life. I've even been known to keep a can on my desk as an office toy and stress reliever when needed.

I was a purist as a child and didn't have all those activity sets where you could play a chef and pump out Play-Doh food, or imitate a doctor and cure your puppy, or the infamous "Fuzzy Pumper" that allowed you to grow hair and cut it all in one sitting. I just like making things with my Play-Doh. Back when I was a kid (gosh, I feel old starting a sentence with that), our Play-Doh didn't change colors when mixed together unlike the brand of today. I preferred my own Play-Doh cans because the kids at school and church always mixed the colors and ruined half the jars of Play-Doh. My mind would reel as I thought of all the things I could create. I got lost in the creative world of sculpture.

The most exciting moment is when I got a new pack of Play-Doh. The thought of it even now brings back sweet memories. I'd crack open the cardboard container and slowly open that fresh can of Play-Doh. Ahhh, that sweet aroma. The colorful slab of Play-Doh was carefully shaped to fit in the cylinder and come out of the can ready for action. I can still remember that aroma....

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Play-Doh. And, the folks at Hasbro have put together a year-long celebration. One of the highlights of the year is a the release of a limited edition fragrance "eau-de-Play-Doh" scent. For about $19, you can experience the aroma of your childhood days in a spray form. You know, I enjoy a good aromatic memory, but for $2, I can go to the local store and buy a few cans of the stuff and experience the smell. Why don't I think about these money making ideas sooner?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi, Rose! It was good to hear from you on my blog. I LOVED Play-Do when I was little, especially the things that made hair and squeezed out all the shapes. I was an only child, too, so maybe that has something to do with it. My kids could take it or leave it, and I generally played with their Play-Do more than they did! :-)

Katrina said...

Wonderful post! Just reading it brought the strong memory of that same scent to my nose. I also loved the smell of brand new crayons, and the sort of minty smell of paste. (Do they even use paste anymore?)

Thank you for the memories!

SheThinker said...

I love Play-Doh! I too was the type to keep my Play-Doh pure. The only time I ever did anything other than moulding it was when I would use Grandma's old cookie cutters and biscuit cutter to make shapes. I don't remember ever wanting any of the toys than went with my Doh. I figured my own 2 hands were good enough, I guess.

Anonymous said...

Having an "artsy" 8 yr old...I can smell play-doh pretty much at any time I wish to do so. I never saw it as aromatherapy, but now I think of you when we're sculpting! :O)

RosieBoo said...

Tiffany,
I forgot you were an only child too...I think that is a big reason we loved it so!

Katrina,
Crayons and Paste!! Wow, just thinking about those smells gets me all excited!!

Rebekah,
Glad to know I'm not the only Play-Doh purist

Jules,
Give that sweet "artsy" one a big ole hug for me! His Auntie Rose is proud of his sculpting abilities!