Wham-O
Encyclopedia
Wham-O Inc. is a toy
company currently located in California
, USA
. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop
, the Frisbee
, Slip 'N Slide
, Super Ball
, Trac-Ball, Silly String
, Hacky Sack
and the Boogie board.
and Arthur "Spud" Melin, two University of Southern California
college graduates unhappy with their employment, began the company in 1948 as "WHAM-O Mfg. Co." in the Knerr family garage in South Pasadena, California. Their first product was the Wham-O slingshot
, made of ash wood, which Knerr and Melin would promote by showing off their own skills at demonstrations
. The powerful slingshot was used by clubs for competitive target shooting, as well as for small game hunting. The name "Wham-O" was based on the sound of the slingshot's shot hitting the target.
When they outgrew the garage they rented a building on S. Marengo Ave in Alhambra, California
. The company eventually moved its manufacturing plant to neighboring San Gabriel, California
.
As of 2007, US headquarters is in Emeryville, California
.
n bamboo "exercise hoops" and manufactured them with Marlex
. The new Hula Hoop was born (the name "hula hoop" has been used since the 18th century). Knerr and Melin had created the biggest fad to date. Twenty-five million were sold in less than four months, and in two years sales reached more than 100 million units. By the end of 1959, after US$45 million in profits, the fad slowly was dying out.
Shortly after, they got lucky again with the Frisbee
. In 1955 Fred Morrison began marketing a plastic flying disc which he called the "Pluto Platter". He sold the design to Wham-O in 1957 and the design was modified, the product renamed Frisbee and sales took off in 1959.
In the early 1960s, they created the Super Ball
. It was made of a relatively hard elastomer Polybutadiene
alloy dubbed Zectron, exhibiting a remarkable 0.92 coefficient of restitution
when bounced on hard surfaces. They sold some 20 million of them during the 1960s.
The Frisbee and Hula Hoop created fad
s. Other products tried to take advantage of existing national trends. In the 1960s, Wham-O came out with a US$119 do-it-yourself bomb shelter cover. In 1962, they sold a limbo dance kit to take advantage of that fad, and in 1975 when the movie Jaws
was released, they sold plastic shark
teeth.
Many products, of course, were not successful. One such product came as a result of Melin's safari to Africa
in the early 1960s. While camping, he discovered a species of fish that laid eggs in the mud during Africa's dry season. When the rains came, the eggs hatched and fish emerged overnight. Melin turned this into the Instant Fish
product, an aquarium kit that consisted of some of the fish eggs and some mud to hatch them in. Its debut at a New York toy fair made it wildly popular, but the fish couldn't produce eggs fast enough, so the idea was dropped.
For many years, the company's product strategy was to have a stable of eight to twelve simple and inexpensive products, such as Frisbees, Super Balls, and Hula Hoop
s. New products would be developed and added to the line for a tryout period, and old ones retired (either for a few years or permanently) as their popularity waned. Since the toys weren't expensive or complicated, they were sold by a wide variety of retailers, from large department stores
to corner Five and dime
shops.
After the sale of the company, the various new owners experimented with changes to this formula; the toy industry was changing, with more complicated products and fewer sales outlets.
As of 2006, the portfolio of product lines includes several groups of related items which use licensed brand names. For example, Sea-Doo is a manufacturer Personal water craft
; Wham-O makes a "Sea-Doo" product line of small inflatable rafts designed to be towed behind the watercraft.
Product lines are also more complex, and are grouped into related categories; the Sea-Doo line has around a dozen products, there are several Slip 'N Slide variations, a group of "lawn games" and so on.
On January 31, 2011, Wham-O announced its arrangement with ICM, the company that represents Atari video games, to represent the Wham-O company in various media. The expected result will be movies, television, music, and online content based around the toy products of the Wham-O company.
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
company currently located in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They are known for marketing many popular toys in the past 50 years, including the Hula Hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
, the Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
, Slip 'N Slide
Slip 'N Slide
The Slip 'n Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Cody Abramson.The toy is a long sheet of thin plastic, flanked lengthwise on one side by a heat-sealed tubular fold. The tube can be attached to any ordinary garden hose. Water runs through the tube...
, Super Ball
Super Ball
SuperBalls or bouncy balls is a toy, invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley by compressing a synthetic rubber material under high pressure...
, Trac-Ball, Silly String
Silly String
Silly String is a children's toy of flexible, sometimes brightly-coloured, plastic string propelled as a stream of liquid from an aerosol can. The solvent in the string quickly evaporates in mid-air, creating a continuous strand. Silly String is often used during weddings, birthday parties,...
, Hacky Sack
Hacky Sack
thumb|right|200px|A Hacky SackHacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of footbag.-History:The name "hacky sack" came from the 1972 inventors of the Footbag, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. Although Marshall suffered a fatal heart attack in 1975, Stalberger continued the business. At a...
and the Boogie board.
Corporate history
Richard KnerrRichard Knerr
Richard Knerr was an American inventor best known for marketing the Frisbee and Hula Hoop. In 1948 he cofounded the company Wham-O with Arthur Melin . In 1957, an Australian visiting California told them offhand that in his home country, children twirled bamboo hoops around their waists in gym class...
and Arthur "Spud" Melin, two University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
college graduates unhappy with their employment, began the company in 1948 as "WHAM-O Mfg. Co." in the Knerr family garage in South Pasadena, California. Their first product was the Wham-O slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
, made of ash wood, which Knerr and Melin would promote by showing off their own skills at demonstrations
Exhibition shooting
Exhibition shooting or trick shooting is a sport in which a marksman performs various feats of skill, frequently using non-traditional targets. Exhibition shooting tends to stress both speed and accuracy, often with elements of danger added.-History:...
. The powerful slingshot was used by clubs for competitive target shooting, as well as for small game hunting. The name "Wham-O" was based on the sound of the slingshot's shot hitting the target.
When they outgrew the garage they rented a building on S. Marengo Ave in Alhambra, California
Alhambra, California
Alhambra is a city located in the western San Gabriel Valley region of Los Angeles County, California, United States, which is approximately eight miles from the Downtown Los Angeles civic center. As of the 2010 census, the population was 83,089, down from 85,804 at the 2000 census. The city's...
. The company eventually moved its manufacturing plant to neighboring San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel, California
San Gabriel is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is named after the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, founded by Junipero Serra. The city grew outward from the mission and in 1852 became the original township of Los Angeles County. San Gabriel was incorporated in 1913...
.
Timeline
- 1948, WHAM-O founded - For about a year in the fifties, the company tried to brand their sporting goods under the name WAMO. The sporting goods buyers didn't care for the switch so it was soon dropped.
- 1957, Hula Hoop first manufactured by Toltoys (Developed by David Tolmer).
- 1957, Flying Saucer / Frisbee first marketed.
- 1958, Hula Hoop first marketed by WHAM-O.
- 1958, the Hula Hoop craze occurs.
- 1958, Flying Saucer / Frisbee sales improved.
- 1961, Slip 'N' Slide first manufactured by WHAM-O.
- 1965, Super Ball first manufactured by WHAM-O.
- 1982, Wham-O was purchased by Kransco Group Companies.
- 1994, MattelMattelMattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...
bought Wham-O from Kransco. - 1995, Wham-O bought Aspectus company.
- 1997, Wham-O became independent again when a group of investors purchased the company from Mattel.
- 2002, Arthur "Spud" Melin died.
- January 2006, Wham-O was sold for ~ US$80 million to Cornerstone Overseas Investment Limited, a ChineseChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
company that owns or controls five factories in ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. That same month Wham-O donated the office files, photographs and films of Dan "Stork" Roddick (Dir. Sports Promotion 1975–1994) to Western Historical Manuscript Collection (Midwest Disc Sports Collection accession 5828). WHMC is located on the University of MissouriUniversity of MissouriThe University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
, Columbia campus and is a joint collection with the State Historical Society of Missouri. - 2008, Richard Knerr died.
- 2008, Wham-O introduced the EZ Spin Foam Frisbee Disc (waterproof foam disc with plastic center for spinning of disc on top or bottom of disc).
- 2009, Wham-O sold to investment firm The Aguilar Group.
- 2010, Wham-O acquired Sprig Toys Inc.
As of 2007, US headquarters is in Emeryville, California
Emeryville, California
Emeryville is a small city located in Alameda County, California, in the United States. It is located in a corridor between the cities of Berkeley and Oakland, extending to the shore of San Francisco Bay. Its proximity to San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, the University of California, Berkeley, and...
.
Products and marketing
In 1957, Wham-O, still a fledgling company, took the idea of AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n bamboo "exercise hoops" and manufactured them with Marlex
Marlex
Marlex is a trademarked name for crystalline polypropylene and high-density polyethylene . These plastics were invented by J. Paul Hogan and Robert Banks, two research chemists at the Phillips Petroleum company....
. The new Hula Hoop was born (the name "hula hoop" has been used since the 18th century). Knerr and Melin had created the biggest fad to date. Twenty-five million were sold in less than four months, and in two years sales reached more than 100 million units. By the end of 1959, after US$45 million in profits, the fad slowly was dying out.
Shortly after, they got lucky again with the Frisbee
Frisbee
A flying disc is a disc-shaped glider that is generally plastic and roughly in diameter, with a lip. The shape of the disc, an airfoil in cross-section, allows it to fly by generating lift as it moves through the air while rotating....
. In 1955 Fred Morrison began marketing a plastic flying disc which he called the "Pluto Platter". He sold the design to Wham-O in 1957 and the design was modified, the product renamed Frisbee and sales took off in 1959.
In the early 1960s, they created the Super Ball
Super Ball
SuperBalls or bouncy balls is a toy, invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley by compressing a synthetic rubber material under high pressure...
. It was made of a relatively hard elastomer Polybutadiene
Polybutadiene
Polybutadiene is a synthetic rubber that is a polymer formed from the polymerization process of the monomer 1,3-butadiene.It has a high resistance to wear and is used especially in the manufacture of tires, which consumes about 70% of the production...
alloy dubbed Zectron, exhibiting a remarkable 0.92 coefficient of restitution
Coefficient of restitution
The coefficient of restitution of two colliding objects is a fractional value representing the ratio of speeds after and before an impact, taken along the line of the impact...
when bounced on hard surfaces. They sold some 20 million of them during the 1960s.
The Frisbee and Hula Hoop created fad
FAD
In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide is a redox cofactor involved in several important reactions in metabolism. FAD can exist in two different redox states, which it converts between by accepting or donating electrons. The molecule consists of a riboflavin moiety bound to the phosphate...
s. Other products tried to take advantage of existing national trends. In the 1960s, Wham-O came out with a US$119 do-it-yourself bomb shelter cover. In 1962, they sold a limbo dance kit to take advantage of that fad, and in 1975 when the movie Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
was released, they sold plastic shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
teeth.
Many products, of course, were not successful. One such product came as a result of Melin's safari to Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
in the early 1960s. While camping, he discovered a species of fish that laid eggs in the mud during Africa's dry season. When the rains came, the eggs hatched and fish emerged overnight. Melin turned this into the Instant Fish
Instant Fish
Instant Fish was an idea conceived by the Wham-O toy company in the early 1960s.-History:Instant fish were a species of African killifish that laid eggs in the mud at the start of the dry season...
product, an aquarium kit that consisted of some of the fish eggs and some mud to hatch them in. Its debut at a New York toy fair made it wildly popular, but the fish couldn't produce eggs fast enough, so the idea was dropped.
Other products
- The Wheelie Bar (1966) for wheelie bikeWheelie bikeA wheelie bike, also called a muscle bike, high-riser, or banana bike, is a type of stylized children's bicycle designed in the 1960s to resemble a chopper motorcycle and characterized by ape hanger handlebars, a banana seat with sissy bar, and small wheels. Notable examples include the Schwinn...
s, especially well suited for the popular Schwinn Sting-Ray. The packaging featured 1960s icon Rat FinkRat FinkRat Fink is one of the several hot-rod characters created by one of the originators of Kustom Kulture, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth. Roth conceived Rat Fink as an anti-hero answer to Mickey Mouse...
, and the image was widely distributed on T-shirts, posters, and decals. The television ad featured Kathryn MinnerKathryn MinnerKathryn Elizabeth Minner , sometimes credited as Katherine Minner, was an elderly grandmother and character actress who specialized in playing "little old ladies" in movies, on various television shows, and in a series of television commercials for Southern California Dodge dealers.-Wife and...
, the original Little Old Lady from Pasadena. - The "Air Blaster" (1963), which could blow out a candle at 20 feet.
- The "Bubble Thing" (1988) soap bubble toy, which is an extremely large bubble wand, usually dipped in a small plastic wading pool filled with bubble solution that claims to make bubbles "as long as a bus" (which is actually true).
- The "Huf'n Puf" blowgun, which shot soft rubber darts, a gentler version of the real thing, which Melin and Knerr discovered during a toy-scouting journey to AfricaAfricaAfrica is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Wham-O also marketed very real crossbows, boomerangs, throwing knivesThrowing knifeThrowing knives are knives that are specially designed and weighted so that they can be thrown effectively. They are a distinct category from ordinary knives....
, and even a .22 caliber single-shot target pistol. - Slip 'N SlideSlip 'N SlideThe Slip 'n Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Cody Abramson.The toy is a long sheet of thin plastic, flanked lengthwise on one side by a heat-sealed tubular fold. The tube can be attached to any ordinary garden hose. Water runs through the tube...
1961 - Water Wiggle 1962
- Monster Magnet 1964
- Super Sneaky Squirtin' Stick 1964
- Willie 1964
- Super BallSuper BallSuperBalls or bouncy balls is a toy, invented in 1964 by chemist Norman Stingley by compressing a synthetic rubber material under high pressure...
1965 - Super Stuff 1966
- Giant Comics 1967
- Silly StringSilly StringSilly String is a children's toy of flexible, sometimes brightly-coloured, plastic string propelled as a stream of liquid from an aerosol can. The solvent in the string quickly evaporates in mid-air, creating a continuous strand. Silly String is often used during weddings, birthday parties,...
1969 - Super Elastic Bubble PlasticSuper Elastic Bubble PlasticSuper Elastic Bubble Plastic was the brand name for a children's toy manufactured from the 1960s through the 80s by Wham-O. It consisted of a tube of viscous plastic substance and a thin straw used to blow semi-solid bubbles. A pea-sized amount of liquid plastic was squirted from the tube and made...
1970 - Magic WindowWham-o magic windowThe Wham-O magic window was toy mass-produced by Wham-O from 1973 to 1979. It was made from two 30x30 cm oval plates of heavy clear plastic, with a narrow channel between them containing glass crystal sands of varying colors....
1971 - Trac-BallTrac BallNot to be confused with track ballTrac Ball is typically a game of catch played by two or more people wherein both participants wield an oversized glove/racquet/basket, passing a ball back and forth. The racquet is similar in appearance and function to a jai alai basket. Trac Ball is also utilized...
- Magic sandMagic sandMagic sand, Moon Sand, Mars Sand, Space Sand,Sqand or Aqua Sand is a toy made from sand coated with a hydrophobic compound. The presence of this hydrophobic compound causes the grains of sand to adhere to one another and form cylinders when exposed to water...
1980 - Roller Racer Sit SkateRoller racerA Roller Racer is a human powered vehicle and children's toy. The vehicle consists of a plastic seat with wheels on its bottom, attached to T style handlebars by a pin joint. The handlebars also have wheels, attached to what would be the vertical portion of the "T"...
1983 - The Hacky SackHacky Sackthumb|right|200px|A Hacky SackHacky Sack is the trademarked name of a type of footbag.-History:The name "hacky sack" came from the 1972 inventors of the Footbag, John Stalberger and Mike Marshall. Although Marshall suffered a fatal heart attack in 1975, Stalberger continued the business. At a...
footbagFootbagA footbag is both a small, round bag, and the term for the various sports played with one – characterized by controlling the bag by using one's feet. Although often referred to generically as a Hacky Sack, that is the trademarked name of one specific brand.Footbag-like activities have existed...
product design was purchased from its inventors in 1983 - EZ SPIN Foam Frisbee Disc 2008
Strategy
Wham-O's initial success can be seen as a result of the insight of its founders. Knerr and Melin aimed their products directly at kids, going out to playgrounds to reach them. They also did extensive research to find new product ideas, including traveling all over the world.For many years, the company's product strategy was to have a stable of eight to twelve simple and inexpensive products, such as Frisbees, Super Balls, and Hula Hoop
Hula hoop
A hula hoop is a toy hoop that is twirled around the waist, limbs or neck.Although the exact origins of hula hoops are unknown, children and adults around the world have played with hoops, twirling, rolling and throwing them throughout history...
s. New products would be developed and added to the line for a tryout period, and old ones retired (either for a few years or permanently) as their popularity waned. Since the toys weren't expensive or complicated, they were sold by a wide variety of retailers, from large department stores
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
to corner Five and dime
Five and Dime
Five and Dime is a cartoon short by Walter Lantz which features Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. It is the 74th Oswald short produced by Lantz and the 125th overall. It also is among the number of shorts that feature Oswald in his fully clothed appearance....
shops.
After the sale of the company, the various new owners experimented with changes to this formula; the toy industry was changing, with more complicated products and fewer sales outlets.
As of 2006, the portfolio of product lines includes several groups of related items which use licensed brand names. For example, Sea-Doo is a manufacturer Personal water craft
Personal water craft
A personal water craft , also called water scooter, is a recreational watercraft that the rider rides or stands on, rather than inside of, as in a boat....
; Wham-O makes a "Sea-Doo" product line of small inflatable rafts designed to be towed behind the watercraft.
Product lines are also more complex, and are grouped into related categories; the Sea-Doo line has around a dozen products, there are several Slip 'N Slide variations, a group of "lawn games" and so on.
On January 31, 2011, Wham-O announced its arrangement with ICM, the company that represents Atari video games, to represent the Wham-O company in various media. The expected result will be movies, television, music, and online content based around the toy products of the Wham-O company.
In popular culture
- A fictionalized account of the invention of two Wham-O products, the Hula-Hoop and Frisbee, is depicted in the 19941994 in film1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
film The Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director....
, though the company is mentioned only in the end credits of the film.
- In 2003, Wham-O sued to have the film Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.- Plot :...
removed from theaters until the "Slip 'N SlideSlip 'N SlideThe Slip 'n Slide is a toy manufactured by Wham-O, first introduced in 1961 after being invented by Cody Abramson.The toy is a long sheet of thin plastic, flanked lengthwise on one side by a heat-sealed tubular fold. The tube can be attached to any ordinary garden hose. Water runs through the tube...
" scene was removed. They claimed it violated the product's safety instructions.
- The band "Monster MagnetMonster MagnetMonster Magnet is an American stoner rock band. Hailing from Red Bank, New Jersey, the group was founded by Dave Wyndorf , John McBain and Tim Cronin...
" is named after a Wham-O toy from the 1960's.