PlayMobil The brand that emerged with the oil crisis

Great ideas arise in times of crisis, and this is the case of the German toy brand Playmobil, which was born in the context of the first oil crisis in the 1970s. At this time, the need to reduce the amount of plastic prevailed used in the elaboration of the products to maximize profits.

During the 1970s, the first oil crisis occurred, when OPEC restricted the export of hydrocarbons to countries that supported Israel in the face of the war with Syria and Egypt. This resulted in an increase in oil prices, affecting the industrialized countries that depended on this raw material.

In this sense, the industrial sector of Germany was also affected, so Horst Brandstätter, owner of the German company Brandstätter Group, specialized in making plastic toys such as cars and the popular hula hoop, asked the head of development, Hans Beck, to design a new type of toy, smaller to reduce plastic in manufacturing, lowering costs and increasing profits.

Brandstätter’s idea was to stay in the car line, but creative Hans Beck had another idea brewing in his sketches.

inspiration in children

Hans Beck was born in the city of Thuringia in Germany, and grew up in the town of Zirndorf. He made his first toys for his younger brothers and trained as a carpenter. Years later, he began working in the aeromodelling sector at the Geobra Brandstätter company in 1958. Beck spent years working at this company and that was when, in 1971, he received the special order of his boss for the design of a new range of toys.

Beck began his research because he wanted a toy that would stimulate children’s imaginations, without setting rules of the game. It was thus that this was inspired by the drawings that the little ones made and in which the common denominator were figures with large heads, which only had eyes and a smile, without details of ears or nose. 

The interaction with the children allowed Beck to observe how the little ones used their imagination and creativity to represent endless stories and options with the simple figures that he gave them. 

Brandstätter did not like this idea very much, but the problem with the raw material made the project viable, and it was thus that in 1974 the first Playmobil models were exhibited at the Nuremberg Toy Fair.

His receptivity was not what was expected. However, a Dutch company recognized the potential of this new universe of toys and bought the entire annual production. In this way, Playmobil figures began to be sold all over the world from the year 1975.

simplicity and imagination

The unique characteristics of the Playmobil dolls emulate a simple human figure, with a large head, eyes and a smile. Their pocket size makes them ideal to be the favorite playmates of the little ones, because they can be taken wherever they want.

The possibility of exchanging accessories, clothing and profession to the figures is a stimulus for the creativity of children, who will have no limitations when creating their characters and representing the most fantastic stories.

Unlike other toys with human figures, Playmobil dolls can stand up thanks to their design. In addition, the U-shaped hands facilitate the grip of accessories such as tools, instruments, weapons, among others.

For its part, the different scenarios, which allow creating a universe of fun, help children to encourage their imagination by recreating everyday or fantasy stories, without limits or rules. 

A Playmobil for all ages

With the great acceptance that this toy has had over the last 45 years, in the 90s the need to reach the smallest was observed, but for this the toys had to be adapted to offer greater safety to the children. babies and reassurance to their parents.

Consequently, the Playmobil 123 toy line was designed, maintaining the distinctive characteristics of the traditional dolls and scenarios, but taking care of the finishes to avoid sharp edges, sharp accessories and other elements that put the safety of the little ones at risk.

In this way, you can currently make a comparison of Playmobil 123 and find models for babies from 18 months of age, with striking colors and attractive designs, which also encourage the learning of basic concepts.

At the same time, the little ones can use their imagination to represent roles and situations that they observe daily, thus developing many skills such as language, fine motor skills, socialization, among others.

Regarding the other scenarios, there are currently more than 30 different Playmobil universes, combinable with each other and with unisex designs, considering that 55% of its customers are boys and the rest are girls. In this way, Playmobil has very well covered the demand by offering sets for all tastes, especially with the license of classic children’s characters, movies and shows such as Scoby Doo, Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, Heidi and other titles that continue to be attractive. for children and nostalgic for adults. 

Curious facts about Playmobil

The popular toy brand has certain anecdotes that are worth knowing and one of the most impressive is that more than 2,700 million of these dolls have been manufactured with dozens of different themes, and 100 million figures are manufactured annually in the factory in Malta..

In this regard, statistics indicate that in this factory 3.2 dolls are made per second, while in the world 2.6 people are born per second. Consequently, Playmobil figures will gradually outnumber the inhabitants of Earth. 

Another fact to note is that since the first figure, made in 1974, the same dimensions have been maintained in the dolls: 7.5 cm, so the figures sold over these 45 years are combinable with each other. So neither the year of the toy nor the collection affects the compatibility of the parts.

On the other hand, the great popularity that these toys acquired throughout the world allowed the creation of associations of collectors and fans to organize different types of events related to the franchise. In Spain there are two: Aesclick and Somosclicks, which you can learn about and follow through their social networks.

As you can see, Playmobil established itself in the toy sector as one of the pioneers in representative games and simple human figures, to stimulate children’s creativity, breaking sales records and millionaire billings. A brand that continues to project itself into the future, preserving the principles of its founder, Horst Brandstätter, and honoring the creative legacy of Hans Beck.