Hasbro Officially Trademarks The Way PLAY-DOH Smells

You probably remember Hasbro’s PLAY-DOH for a bevy of reasons, but Hasbro’s betting that one of them is the smell, and now they’ve managed to trademark it.

Yep, Hasbro announced today that they’ve officially submitted and gained approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Office in regards to the PLAY-DOH scent. The active scent trademark is one of the few of its kind in the United States, and Hasbro describes the scent as a “combination of a sweet, slightly musky, vanilla-like fragrance, with slight overtones of cherry, and the natural smell of a salted, wheat-based dough.”

Hasbro says that since PLAY-DOH’s introduction in 1956, the distinctive smell has been one of its most memorable features, and is recognizable to children, parents, and grandparents alike. The recipe for PLAY-DOH has mostly been unchanged since those early days, and the smell is a consistent element all the years, leading to Hasbro’s decision to trademark it.

“The scent of PLAY-DOH compound has always been synonymous with childhood and fun,” said Jonathan Berkowitz, senior vice president of Global Marketing for the PLAY-DOH brand. “By officially trademarking the iconic scent, we are able to protect an invaluable point of connection between the brand and fans for years to come.”

Hasbro is celebrating the approval by asking fans to share their favorite memories involving PLAY-DOH, so hit up the #PLAYDOHSCENT hashtag if you want to join in.

While it is rare, the PLAY-DOH scent isn’t alone in the scent trademark category, though the list is small. One of the oldest trademarked scents belongs to Manhattan Oil, who have three registered scents with the Trademark office. Three of their Fuel Fragrances are registered, including Super Charged Strawberry, Cherry Bomb, and Groovy Grape. Other scents registers includes Strawberry Toothbrushes by Lactona and the specific scene that populates Verizon Wireless retail stores, a trademark that was accomplished in 2014.

So, what’s your favorite PLAY-DOH memory? Let us know in the comments!