The Wacky WallWalker was a toy molded out of a sticky elastomer. It was shaped similar to an octopus, and when thrown against a wall would "walk" its way down. It was a hugely popular toy in the early 1980s.
Before its introduction in the United States, a man by the name of Ken Hakuta received in the mail several sticky octopus-like toys from his mother, who lived in Japan. They were intended for his children, but Hakuta found himself fascinated with the toy, which were called Tako in Japan. He realized their marketing potential, and after purchasing rights to the product in 1983, he began to market them locally in Washington, D.C., dubbing them "Wacky WallWalkers". Their popularity was mediocre, until Nina Hyde of The Washington Post wrote a feature story on them. This created a buzz, and people in the Washington area flooded into the local stores to purchase them. Within the next several months, hundreds of media outlets ran stories on them, creating one of the biggest selling fads of all time. As the fad began to decline, over 240 million Wacky WallWalkers had been sold, raking in about 80 million dollars.
Wikipedia contributors. Wacky WallWalker. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. July 6, 2008, 17:39 UTC. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wacky_WallWalker&oldid=223950553. Accessed October 8, 2008.
