Wham-O is making a new push for relevance
Wham-O president Todd Richards at the company's office on March 10, 2023, in Carson, California.
But what Richards could not have known at the time was just how difficult his dream job would be. After five domestic and foreign ownership changes since the company’s 1948 beginnings, Wham-O had become a shell of its old self. The company is working with artists to use Frisbees as canvas to increase the collectability quotient. And Wham-O is tapping into the lucrative pet market with items including a Super Ball that is more chew resistant and has ridges so that it bounces unpredictably.
“They called it the Fun Factory. My dad and his partner, Spud, really were still children themselves in many respects,” Knerr said. “They played with everything they made, and that was part of why they were good at it.” He searches through shelves of toys for a prototype that will be released in the coming months: a line dubbed Fundamentals, including one that is part excavation toy and part puzzle, designed to present children with a mystery. Best of all, no parental involvement is required.
A collaboration with toy-maker Jazwares is creating pet toys such as balls, discs, tug toys and plush and other items. The toys have been picked up by PetSmart and are available elsewhere online.Richards said he’s been encouraging a return to the early days when scientists, chemists and regular people would come to the Fun Factory to present their ideas.
Another new approach in the works: a collaboration slated for next year called the Studio Frisbee Collection, featuring the work of notable and up-and-coming artists on the ever-popular flying discs. Wham-O’s mixture of new with nostalgia “could be a really smart move in today’s climate,” said Laurie Schacht, chief executive of the Toy Book, the toy industry’s leading trade publication.
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