Mr. Potato Head was invented by George Lerner in 1949 and first sold by Hasbro in 1952. It was the first toy to be advertised on television and initially consisted of plastic facial features that were meant to be stuck into a real potato.

In 1964, the hard plastic body was introduced, and over time, the toy has evolved to include different accessories, themed versions, and a storage container in the body. Lerner sold the idea to a food company, which included the parts in cereal boxes as a promotion. The Hassenfeld Brothers (which became Hasbro) bought the rights from the food company in 1951 and launched the toy in 1952. Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on television, which was a major marketing innovation.

Initially, the toy’s parts were meant to be inserted into real potatoes. However, safety concerns arose, and Hasbro began producing a hard plastic potato body in 1964. Safety features like flat slats were introduced in the 1980s, but the round holes were later reintroduced. A storage compartment was added to the body in 1985.  The toy gained further popularity in the 1990s with a role in the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story. Hasbro has continued to release new themed sets and variations. In 2021, Hasbro announced a “gender-free” “Potato Head” but later clarified that the “Mr. and Mrs.” versions would remain available.