Play-Doh isn’t just for kids, and now the toy brand is officially acknowledging that with a new line called Play-Doh for Grown Ups.
The new product line contains a variety of what Play-Doh calls “Grown Up Scents,” including “Overpriced Latte,” “Mom Jeans,” “Dad Sneakers,” “Spa Day,” “Lord of the Lawn,” and “Grill King.”
The aromas are meant to evoke everyday things that bring adults joy, like brand-new shoes or freshly cut grass, brand general manager Leena Vadaketh told HuffPost.
They’re also aimed at “anyone who loves a good laugh,” Vadaketh said.
Play-Doh, invented in the 1930s as a wallpaper cleaner and rebranded as a kids’ modeling compound in the 1950s, is launching the new line just in time for the holiday gag-gift season. The push into an older generation also comes as many companies adjust to the coronavirus-changed culture that’s keeping kids and their parents close to home.
Play-Doh has experimented with other new products in recent years. In 2019, the brand unveiled five new compounds with different textures, including a version of slime.
The concept of a Play-Doh product for grown-ups harkens back to the product’s early days, when it was not meant for kids. The dough-like substance was invented to remove soot and dirt from wallpapered walls. The development of vinyl wallpaper and the decline of coal furnaces meant there was less need for the cleaning product by the 1950s.
Thus, it was rebranded as a modeling compound for kids, and the rest is history.
In 2020, when everything feels topsy turvy, it seems fitting that Play-Doh would come full circle and offer a product for adults again.
