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Is 'Adult' Play-Doh a Potential Retail Winner for Hasbro?

Written by Nicholas Morine

Hasbro has been doing exceptionally well in terms of capturing the imagination of children and adults alike, with the term "kidult" consumer arising to address the phenomenon of millennial, Gen X, and even maturing Gen Z consumers refusing to let go from a sense of nostalgia.

Now, in a new push to further expand a classic product beyond its initial demographic, Hasbro has announced the launch of Blooms by Play-Doh -- seeking to elevate the young childrens' play putty into something adults can turn into an experiential crafting material that also has lasting aesthetic appeal.

The "Blooms by Play-Doh" collection will be priced at $24.99 and up, and has shelf space allotted at major retailers including Amazon, Target, and Walmart. The kits include sculpting tools, molds, extensive instructions on how to sculpt each petal and stem and how to assemble the finished design, a finishing spray, and a vase in which to display the arrangement as a finished product. For those looking to purchase things from TikTok Shop, certain products from the assortment will be available starting July 16.

"Each Blooms by Play-Doh kit guides users through creating lifelike flowers, from shaping individual petals to arranging a finished bouquet. The process is hands-on and immersive, with step-by-step instructions that make it approachable for beginners while delivering a polished result," a press release read.

"Once complete, creations can be preserved and displayed, offering a decorative piece made entirely by hand. A key innovation is the inclusion of a specially formulated finishing spray, which helps maintain the structure of the flowers over time so arrangements can be enjoyed for months," it continued.

Research Highlights How Hasbro's Play-Doh for Adults Could Land With Adult Consumers

Hasbro backed its play into the adult market with research suggesting that adults are increasingly seeking creative outlets as a form of relaxation -- citing stats that nearly 1-in-7 adults enjoy engaging in arts and crafts projects to gear down in the face of daily stressors. Further, an overwhelming majority of younger consumers (80% of zoomers and millennials) reported being "burned out," per the brand's research, which indicates a high degree of demand for products spurring slow-paced and methodical creation.

“The Play-Doh brand has always been about the limitless possibilities of imagination. That feeling doesn’t fade as you grow up, it evolves,” said Brian Baker, SVP for Play-Doh at Hasbro.

“Blooms by Play-Doh serves that need, offering a more elevated, hands-on way to slow down, get lost in the process and create something beautiful you can enjoy long after you’ve made it," Baker added.

As Retail Dive senior editor Kaarin Moore pointed out, Circana data suggests that toy growth is coming from adults, with shoppers aged 18 and over driving 35% of total growth, and more than half of total growth also being spurred by women. Sensory-focused products are particularly popular, and Play-Doh appears to be following a path forged by Lego -- also wildly popular with adults, and which successfully launched its botanical collection in 2021 "as part of its Lego Sets for Adults range," per Moore.

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