A closer look

If you grew up watching cartoons that were blatant cash grabs for action figures, blame A.C. Gilbert. The creator of the Erector Set realized he could skip traditional advertising by sponsoring entire early television programs focused squarely on his toys. He effectively weaponized the broadcasting medium in the 1950s to bypass parents and market directly to impressionable children, establishing the lucrative toy-commercial model we still endure today.