Forget dollhouses or kitchen sets—The Fisher Price Happy Hour Playset is the hot toy of the holiday season. Complete with bar stools and beer bottles, this is the perfect way to unwind after a tough day on the playground. Parents be advised: it’s not recommended for children under three.
Of course, the Happy Hour Playset isn’t a real product—but it made you look twice, didn’t it? Created by Adam Padilla, Branding Director and Co-Founder of Brandfire, this tongue-in-cheek playset was a meme that quickly garnered national attention after its posting on Instagram. We spoke with Padilla about why (and how) he created the packaging for this fake Fisher Price toy, what made it go viral, and the pros and cons of online content.
Adam Padilla: I am the branding director and co-founder of Brandfire, a NYC branding agency, so package design is very important to me. I also happen to run an Instagram meme account called @adam.the.creator, where I post original content every day. I was racking my brain for a new idea last Sunday night while playing with my 21 month-old daughter in my kitchen. I watched her run up to her play kitchen and shuffle the pots and pans around on the counter and thought it would be funny if a toy company were to market a pretend bar set to toddlers. I asked my wife, Willow, if she thought that would be a good meme to create, and she agreed.
