A 1975 Play-Doh magazine ad pictured a boy named Jeff’s bizarre, lumpy, blue creation—a shape he insisted was “really a dog who grew a long nose,” despite looking more like an elephant.
This month, a new Play-Doh ad shows a very different type of sculpture: bouquets of orchids, lilacs, and peonies encircled by delicate stems of eucalyptus and fern.
No, kids haven’t suddenly become intricate sculptors. The audience isn’t kids. The ad was for Blooms by Play-Doh, a speciality set for adults. It’s the latest example in a wave of legacy toy brands courting increasingly anxious and overstimulated adults.
