Hello friends!
This week I’m sharing a story about a product you are surely familiar with, but a woman who you probably aren’t.
But this woman’s creative thinking helped re-invent a cleaning product and make it one of the most popular children’s toys in the world.
Who was she — and how did she do it?
I was curious…
Our story begins in the early 1930s, when many homes in the US were heated by coal-burning furnaces. While coal was efficient for heating, it also left a terrible residue of soot on the walls.
A soap company called Kutol set out to solve the problem with a new wallpaper cleaner.
Their product was a soft, pliable compound, perfect for wiping away the soot that the coal-burning furnaces left on the walls.
But then heating transitioned from dirtier coal to cleaner electricity.
And Kutol’s wallpaper cleaner seemed to have little value.
Sales plummeted, and Kutol faced a major financial crisis.
But at the same time, a New Jersey nursery school teacher named Kay Zufall had a problem – and her creative thinking changed Kutol’s fortunes.
Kay was looking for inexpensive ways for kids in her nursery school to make Christmas decorations. She read a magazine article about making Christmas tree ornaments with wallpaper cleaner and cookie cutters, and went to her local hardware store to buy a can of Kutol’s product.
She knew that Kutol’s wallpaper cleaner was non-toxic, because her brother-in-law, Joe McVicker, was one of the owners of the company.
She brought the doughlike material into her nursery school – and watched as the kids rolled it out and made decorations.
The kids loved it.
Kay also knew that Kutol was in financial trouble, and watching the kids enthusiastically play with Kutol’s wallpaper cleaner gave her an idea.
She called her brother-in-law and suggested they begin manufacturing the wallpaper cleaner as a child’s toy.
Joe McVicker loved the idea.
He and his partner Bill Rhodenbaugh decided to name it “Rainbow Modeling Compound” until Kay and her husband, Bob, came up with a more kid-friendly name: Play-Doh.
Play-Doh officially hit the market in 1955, and was available in three colours: red, blue, and yellow. White Play-Doh was introduced in 1958, when they came out with a four-pack.
And Play-Doh was a huge success.
Kay’s creative idea for Play-Doh saved Kutol (who later sold Play-Doh to General Mills) – and has brought millions of children joy around the world.
Over 950 million pounds, or more than 2 billion cans, of Play-Doh compound have been squished and squashed over the last six decades – eclipsing its previous existence as a wallpaper cleaner by light years.
It’s now available in more than 50 colors, with dozens of accessories.
Kay Zufall never made any money from Play-Doh.
“People ask us, ‘You gave the name away?’ Well, who knew it would sell anything? Joe did the hard work, we had a part in it for sure, but if it hadn’t been sold, it wouldn’t have been anything,” she said.
Play-Doh was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Ed. Note: Kay sounds like a really kind person. She and her husband (urologist Robert Zufall), founded the Zufall Health Center to provide affordable and essential medical treatment to the working poor, uninsured and underserved residents of Dover, New Jersey.
Kay died in 2014.
FUN FACT: Are you seeking a whimsical scent reminiscent of your childhood? To celebrate Play-Doh’s 50th anniversary as a toy, Hasbro released a special Play-Doh perfume, and according to this website, you can still nab a bottle for the low price of $7.50!
Who doesn’t want to have that intoxicating aroma of flour, salt, and water?
Recent Work and Writing
Want to Help Women on International Women’s Day? — Here’s an idea that doesn’t involve performative pink posts and men wearing high heels.
Nicole Can’t Win — Nicole Kidman’s recent cover of Vanity Fair received a lot of attention. But what does the criticism say about how our expectations for women?
Seven Communication Lessons from Legendary Coach Phil Jackson — As we get closer to the wonderful time of year that is March Madness, here’s a little communication inspiration from the NBA coach Phil Jackson.
Janet Jackson Is Not The Woman Who Flashed Her Boob at the Super Bowl — Here’s what I want people to know about her.
How Can I Help?
Communication matters.
So many companies could reap so benefits – from performance and culture to retention and engagement – by improving their communication.
If you want to improve your communication (and get all the good things that come with that), I’m your gal.
I help clients with communication strategy, planning, and thinking.
And I do the ‘doing’, too.
I also teach people the skills to help them become better communicators and leaders through 1:1 coaching and team workshops (that are effective - and fun!).
So, if you know someone who could benefit from some help (as even the highest paid and most seasoned leaders do), please get in touch and check out my website for more information.
And if you see any communication examples (the good, the bad, and the ugly) that you think are worth analyzing or sharing, please send them my way!
Keep Smiling — and Stay Curious!
-Beth
How a cleaning product became a popular children's toy