Toy companies in past decades didn’t just market their products — they turned them into full-scale adventures. Some commercials were so packed with action, drama, and visual effects that they could easily be mistaken for movie previews.
Commercials in the ‘80s and ‘90s had a way of making toys look larger than life.
These toy commercials were so cinematic that they felt like mini movies, captivating kids with action, fantasy, and larger-than-life storytelling.
These 14 toy ads from the 1990s often made promises that didn’t match how the toys worked in real life.
This list shows 15 toy commercials from the 1980s that would no longer be allowed on TV today.
These ‘80s toy commercials reveal how different our cultural standards around safety, gender, and representation have become.