The creation of My Little Pony

This episode of Witness History explores the origin story of My Little Pony, one of the most successful toy franchises in history. Created by Bonnie Zacherli in the early 1980s, the toy was inspired by her childhood memories of riding a Korean pack pony named Nicker during her family's time in Japan. Despite initial resistance from Hasbro's R&D department—particularly her boss, who believed little girls preferred traditional 'domestic' toys like kitchen sets—Zacherli persisted with her vision of a soft, doll-like miniature horse. After a failed attempt at a hard-plastic, mechanized version called My Pretty Pony, a pivotal moment came when the marketing director suggested using brighter, more fantastical colors like pink and purple. Zacherli initially rejected the idea, but after testing it, the colorful, stylized ponies became a hit. The first six ponies—Cotton Candy, Minty Snuzzle, Butterscotch, and others—were born from her imagination and went on to sell over 100 million units. The franchise has since evolved through multiple revivals, including a globally popular TV series and massive retail success, with over $1 billion in sales in 2014 alone. Zacherli remains proud of her creation, which continues to inspire new generations of fans.