Origins in a soap factory

The product was first developed in 1912 by Kutol Products, a company based in Louisville that specialized in making soap. Its primary purpose was not entertainment but utility: to clean soot from walls in homes heated by coal.

A soot cleaner turned unexpected hit

In 1933, Kutol created a soot cleaner for the Kroger grocery chain, developed by Noah McVicker, a product developer at the company. This paste, designed for practical use, would later become one of the best-selling toys in history, though no one at the time could have predicted that.

Changing times made the product obsolete

As natural gas replaced coal for home heating and washable vinyl wallpapers became popular, the need for soot cleaners declined. Kutol’s main product lost its purpose, and the company faced uncertainty about its future.

A teacher sees a new use

Kay Zufall, a preschool teacher in New Jersey, discovered that the paste could be used for creative play with children. She tested it in her classroom and shared her findings with her brother-in-law Joseph McVicker, who worked at Kutol. This led to the product’s transformation into a toy.

From school to store shelves

In 1956, Kutol created Rainbow Crafts, a subsidiary to sell the product to schools in Cincinnati. The idea quickly gained traction, and by 1965, the McVicker brothers were granted a patent for the product. General Mills later acquired the company, recognizing the product’s growing popularity.

A product with a unique identity

Play-Doh, as it became known, has sold over three billion containers, according to Fortune magazine. In 2018, its distinctive scent—described as sweet, slightly musky, and vanilla—was registered as a trademark, a rare example of scent-based intellectual property.