Caveman Game

Reyn did.

Reyn knew something about creating new toys and games … for one he’d created Twister one of the most iconic games in history. So now he was on the hunt for more and started his own company to help him dream up new toys and games. They tried all sorts of ideas … and one that Reyn thought was promising was the “caveman” game. When Reyn saw one of his team members throw a foam “rock” over a net, they knew they were onto something big. So, they turned it into an indoor volleyball game … and Reyn took it to the company who had helped him out on Twister, Milton Bradley. Unfortunately, Milton Bradley wasn’t as impressed as last time and said no. But not giving up Reyn took the indoor volleyball game to rival Parker Brothers. Well Parker Brothers weren’t crazy about the game either … but they really, really liked the foam “rocks” thinking that kids could use them to play indoors … so that’s what Parker Brothers marketed. And the rest is history.

Today, over 40 years later, the toy that initially was created for a caveman game, then pitched as indoor volleyball before actually being marketed as just a simple foam ball sells over $400 million a year in a whole bunch of brand extensions. And it’s all named after the foam that off-road drivers use to wrap their roll bars. NERF

NERF is a great idea … because doing something as simple as throwing a toy rock over a net can spark a toy revolution.