If you're a toy enthusiast, perhaps you've heard of Nerf. Popularly known for its slogan "It's Nerf or Nothin'!," Nerf is a toy brand that Parker Brothers formed. Currently, it is owned by Hasbro.
Most Nerf products are a variety of foam-based weaponry. But there are other Nerf products such as balls for sports like American football, basketball, and baseball.
Nerf's popular toy is their dart guns or blasters. It shoots ammunition made from Nerf foam, partially reticulated polyether-type polyurethane foam.
How did Nerf become the brand that it is now? Let's revisit the history of the toy that's been bringing joy to children for four decades now.
Nerf is set to release its version of the iconic M41A Pulse Rifle from the 1986 movie "Aliens" next year.
A Brief History of Nerf
Nerf originated from inventor Reyn Guyer. One day, while working on a caveman-themed game, one of the game's foam "rocks" bounced over a net because of one of Guyer's team members.
Realizing that they stumbled into something great, they began developing a whole line of games based on foam balls.
Guyer initially pitched the game ideas to Milton Bradley, but the game company passed on Guyer's creation. Guyer then brought the foam games to Parker Brothers.
While Parker Brothers wasn't all enthusiastic about the actual games, he was enthused at the idea of a foam ball that kids could safely play with indoors.
Initially, the company decided to market just the ball as its own toy. Nerf made its debut in 1969 in the form of the four-inch polyurethane foam Nerf Ball. Parker Brothers dubbed it "the world's first indoor ball."
After the success of the plain old Nerf ball, Guyer was contracted by Parker Brothers to create a wider array of foam games.
The most memorable of foam games was the Nerf football, which entered the scene in 1972.
By the 1980s, Nerf Pool, Nerf Ping Pong, and Nerf Table Hockey came into the scene. According to Mental Floss, Nerful action figures, which looked like anthropomorphic Nerf balls, were also produced by the company.
Over the years, the Nerf brand has changed ownership several times. In 1987, Tonka purchased Kenner Parker Toys, the then-owner of the Parker Brothers brand.
In 1991, the brand moved again to the ownership of Hasbro when it acquired Tonka. Hasbro helped Nerf brand flourish. The annual revenues under the Nerf brand are approximately $400 million.
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Nerf as a Famous Toy Brand
Nerf has continued to expand the line over the years. Hasbro keeps on adding new looks to existing products. Later lines of Nerf products ranging from sports balls and foam dart blasters to video games and accessories continue to dominate the toy industry.
Rebelle was released in February 2013. It's a sub-line aimed at girls, with its first products released in the fall of 2013. The product has similar internal mechanics to the Nerf N-Strike elite line, but Rebelle is sporting pink, purple, and teal colors.
In 2014, Nerf celebrated its 45th anniversary with expanded brand lines. The brand also introduced its built-in blaster camera and free-play styled Bash Ball.
The Rival line of blasters was first released in 2015. The first products released were the Rival Apollo XV-700 and the Rival Zeus MXV-1200. The Rival line targets an older audience.
The Hyper line of blasters was announced in 2021. Initial products included the Hyper Rush-40, Hyper Siege-50, and Hyper Mach-100. It features Nerf Hyper rounds with an innovative design and material, according to Hasbro.
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