#the slip n slide was invented in 1961

[cursed-clock-shop]

It's a good thing that the Fail siblings died before the invention of the Slip N' Slide, because you just KNOW they would have wreaked havoc with it.

[jana-hallford]

Baby Boomer Memories: Summer Fun with Wham-O’s Slip N Slide and Water Wiggle

When I was growing up, ways to keep cool in the summer were precious and few.  A popsicle on a hot day meant so much back then, when air conditioning was a lot less common. One retired couple in my neighborhood had an air-conditioned home, while the rest of us were lucky to have so much as a fan. Movie theaters were often wonderfully refrigerated, but lots of other businesses were not. 

A few neighbors had swimming pools, but not many. (There were some community pools available outside of my immediate area.) Backyard wading pools were great for small children, but for school-age kids, two Wham-O products, the Slip N Slide and the Water Wiggle, helped us get through -- and enjoy -- the hottest days of summer in suburbia. 

Wham-o’s Slip N Slide. Originally marketed “for all ages,” time and experience taught that it is best for ages 5 to 12.

Wham-O was already a famous toy company, known for the wildy popular Frisbee and Hula Hoop, when it introduced the Slip N Slide in 1961. Invented by Robert Carrier, the Slip N Slide consists of a long sheet of plastic with a heat-sealed fold on one slide that attaches to a garden hose. Water runs down the tube and out through small perforations, providing a steady stream of water for children to slide down. Originally advertised “for all ages,”  the recommended age is now five to twelve, as time and experience showed that older, larger people are at greater risk for injuries.

Wham-O Water Wiggle with original packaging.

Just one year later, in 1962, Wham-O gave us the Water Wiggle. The Water Wiggle had a bell-shaped plastic-enclosed “head” with a goofy face and a seven-foot length of yellow hose that was, like the Slip N Slide, attached to a standard garden hose and spigot. When the water was turned on the Water Wiggle became airborn, squirting water as it whipped around wildly and randomly. Some bloggers swear these things were sadistic, capable of bopping someone in the head or wrapping around a little body like an ultra fast boa constrictor. There are stories of chipped teeth, bruises, and close calls with strangulation, but luckily most of us were just fine and had fun with it. 

Wham-O introduced the Water Wiggle in 1962. 

About two and half to three million Water Wiggles were sold before the product was pulled from the market after a few tragic deaths occurred in the 1970s in very unusual circumstances. In each case, the plastic head was somehow removed and a small child placed the exposed aluminum nozzle in his mouth while the water was running. The nozzle lodged in the child’s mouth, and he drowned. (The Water Wiggle was, of course, never intended to be used with the plastic head removed.) Wham-O insisted the Water Wiggle had proper safety guidelines and warning labels, but in 1978 the product was recalled and discontinued. The Slip N Slide is still sold.

Wham-O remains a successful toy company, more than 70 years after it was founded. In addition to the Slip N Slide, other classic Wham-O toys include Silly String (1969) and Hacky Sack (1983). This company is good at knowing what children will like. Plus, many of their toys bring children outdoors and encourage physical activity. Given the company began right when television was bringing children indoors, this is a big and positive contribution --  counteracting the sedentary nature of life in the electronic age.

Times have changed, and now more people have access to air conditioning and swimming pools, but many of us remember how the Slip N Slide and the Water Wiggle kept us cool and entertained on the hottest days of summer.

[jeramymobley]

How the Frisbee Got Its Brand Name

The Frisbee is an iconic brand launched out of the ashes of one of the biggest toy fads in history.

After selling more than 100 million Hula Hoops in 16 months, Arthur “Spud” Melin and Rich Knerr were flat broke.

The Hula Hoop was an international sensation. Children and adults alike were captivated with twisting a plastic ring around their hips.

For the life of me, I cannot see why the Hula Hoop became a fad, but it was a different time. It was 1958, and kids weren’t distracted by video games, Netflix, electronic devices, and helicopter parents managing their every moment.

As quickly as the Hula Hoop fad took off, it collapsed. This caught Melin and Knerr off guard. They thought they’d created a new sport, and they had set up factories to produce millions of Hula Hoops. Their ambitions didn’t keep up with demand, and soon they had a massive surplus that robbed them of profits.

Wham-O, their company, completed 1958 with a $10,000 loss.

For me this is where the story gets interesting. Melin and Knerr shrugged off the loss! They recognized success can come and go, but to be successful entrepreneurs they’d have to find something new.

In a very short order Wham-O released several new toys:

1958, Frisbee

1961, Slip ‘N’ Slide

1965, Super Ball

Each of these toys became iconic brands, but let’s take a look at the Frisbee because it saved the company.

Prior to the launch of the Hula Hoop, Wham-O acquired the rights to the Frisbee from Walter “Fred” Morrison. Morrison called his toy the Pluto Platter. It was a flimsy plastic disc that wobbled in the air. It kind of looked like a UFO or flying saucer when thrown.

Shortly after buying the rights to the Pluto Platter, Wham-O changed its name to the Frisbee. Morrison hated it. He said, “I thought Frisbee was a terrible name. I thought it was insane.”

But Knerr demonstrated his marketing genius. “Frisbie” was the name kids were calling the product.

Frisbee’s name is based on Frisbie Pie Co., a long gone Connecticut baker. Back in the forties, college kids liked to toss empty pie tins around for fun — again, a different time before we had iPhones and Netflix. As the kids were introduced to the Pluto Platter they started calling it a “frisbie” after the pie plates.

When Knerr was evaluating the Pluto Platter, he heard the kids referring to it as Frisbie. He embraced the nickname, and adjusted the spelling to Frisbee.

Morrison wasn’t a fan. He had gravitated towards the traditional naming conventions. Initially he called his invention the “Whirlo-Way.” This was a tribute to Whirlaway, the horse that won the Triple Crown in 1941.

Following the reports of spacecraft over Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, Morrison jumped on the UFO bandwagon. He called his discs “Flying Saucers” and then “Pluto Platters.”

Thank goodness for Knerr. It was a stroke of genius. He embraced his market, and used the customer’s slang over cheesy, made-up product names.

The Frisbee is passing it’s 60th anniversary. It’s remarkable to think how far this brand has gone. Frisbee is now a common word like Kleenex or Xerox. And Morrison is still collecting royalty checks off the name, even though he hated it. He said, “It just goes to show I am a bad judge of names.”

You're reading How the Frisbee Got Its Brand Name by Jeremy Miller, originally posted on Sticky Branding. Did you enjoy this article? If so, sign-up for more of Jeremy's articles at Sticky Branding.

[joejstrickl]

How the Frisbee Got Its Brand Name

The Frisbee is an iconic brand launched out of the ashes of one of the biggest toy fads in history.

After selling more than 100 million Hula Hoops in 16 months, Arthur “Spud” Melin and Rich Knerr were flat broke.

The Hula Hoop was an international sensation. Children and adults alike were captivated with twisting a plastic ring around their hips.

For the life of me, I cannot see why the Hula Hoop became a fad, but it was a different time. It was 1958, and kids weren’t distracted by video games, Netflix, electronic devices, and helicopter parents managing their every moment.

As quickly as the Hula Hoop fad took off, it collapsed. This caught Melin and Knerr off guard. They thought they’d created a new sport, and they had set up factories to produce millions of Hula Hoops. Their ambitions didn’t keep up with demand, and soon they had a massive surplus that robbed them of profits.

Wham-O, their company, completed 1958 with a $10,000 loss.

For me this is where the story gets interesting. Melin and Knerr shrugged off the loss! They recognized success can come and go, but to be successful entrepreneurs they’d have to find something new.

In a very short order Wham-O released several new toys:

1958, Frisbee

1961, Slip ‘N’ Slide

1965, Super Ball

Each of these toys became iconic brands, but let’s take a look at the Frisbee because it saved the company.

Prior to the launch of the Hula Hoop, Wham-O acquired the rights to the Frisbee from Walter “Fred” Morrison. Morrison called his toy the Pluto Platter. It was a flimsy plastic disc that wobbled in the air. It kind of looked like a UFO or flying saucer when thrown.

Shortly after buying the rights to the Pluto Platter, Wham-O changed its name to the Frisbee. Morrison hated it. He said, “I thought Frisbee was a terrible name. I thought it was insane.”

But Knerr demonstrated his marketing genius. “Frisbie” was the name kids were calling the product.

Frisbee’s name is based on Frisbie Pie Co., a long gone Connecticut baker. Back in the forties, college kids liked to toss empty pie tins around for fun — again, a different time before we had iPhones and Netflix. As the kids were introduced to the Pluto Platter they started calling it a “frisbie” after the pie plates.

When Knerr was evaluating the Pluto Platter, he heard the kids referring to it as Frisbie. He embraced the nickname, and adjusted the spelling to Frisbee.

Morrison wasn’t a fan. He had gravitated towards the traditional naming conventions. Initially he called his invention the “Whirlo-Way.” This was a tribute to Whirlaway, the horse that won the Triple Crown in 1941.

Following the reports of spacecraft over Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, Morrison jumped on the UFO bandwagon. He called his discs “Flying Saucers” and then “Pluto Platters.”

Thank goodness for Knerr. It was a stroke of genius. He embraced his market, and used the customer’s slang over cheesy, made-up product names.

The Frisbee is passing it’s 60th anniversary. It’s remarkable to think how far this brand has gone. Frisbee is now a common word like Kleenex or Xerox. And Morrison is still collecting royalty checks off the name, even though he hated it. He said, “It just goes to show I am a bad judge of names.”

You're reading How the Frisbee Got Its Brand Name by Jeremy Miller, originally posted on Sticky Branding. Did you enjoy this article? If so, sign-up for more of Jeremy's articles at Sticky Branding.