11. A new toy appeared in 1970 which launched its own industry
In the late 1960s, Parker Brothers rejected a game designed to allow modified football to be played indoors. But they were intrigued with the ball which was designed specifically for the game. It was a four-inch ball constructed of polyurethane foam. In 1970 Parker Brothers released the ball as a toy, calling it the “world’s first official indoor ball”. It was sold under the brand name NERF. One of its early marketing slogans promised, “You can’t damage lamps and windows. You can’t hurt babies or old people”. Televised advertisements for the ball were focused on Saturday morning hours, when children’s programming dominated the airwaves.
Four million of the original design sold in 1970 alone, and Parker Brothers aggressively expanded the use of Nerf in games and toys, including Nerf basketball, football, and baseball bats. Eventually, Nerf bullets and darts were developed to be shot from spring-powered guns. Targets were included, as if the game designers really believed that children (and adults) weren’t going to use the guns to shoot each other and unsuspecting pets. Nerf remains a thriving industry 50 years after its introduction as a simple ball, though Parker Brothers no longer make it. After changing hands several times Nerf became part of Hasbro in the early 21st century.