Theodore Talk: Saving the World with Cheap, Generic Toys
- October 25, 2026
For his War-Toys photo series, photographer Brian McCarty has spent years sourcing toy-props in war zones. After finding the exact same inexpensive toys everywhere from Beirut to Baltimore, he discovered that there are just a handful of factories churning out these cheap toys for the entire global market. With support from Fulbright, the US Department of State, and PolyU Design Hong Kong, Brian conducted research on these factories and developed a simple strategy for improving the play and developmental value of these extremely-low-cost toys: give manufacturers better designs and subsidize their startup production costs.
The War Toys® organization is working to positively influence children's play on a global scale by partnering with generic toy makers; developing new, extremely-low-cost toy lines; and allowing factories to keep all of the revenue. In exchange, War Toys is harnessing existing markets to impact millions upon millions of children for relatively little cost. As pilot and proof of concept, they've started with the ubiquitous army man and are fostering a small-but-important addition to sets of plastic soldiers still being sold worldwide – photojournalists, aid workers, and frontline rescuers. The presence of these "humanitarian heroes" changes the inherent play pattern of the toys, giving children more options than "us versus them," while quietly promoting more peaceful ideals, somewhat ironically, to kids playing war. There are endless opportunities to foster similar changes to enduringly popular, generic toy lines. War Toys will bridge the play gap for disadvantaged children and create ripple effects that will span generations. After all, at this level of the market, the same toy designs are sold for decades.
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