Two decades ago, toy inventor Ron Dubren heard giggles coming from a playground. It was a bunch of kids tickling one other. Inspired, Dubren created Tickles the Chimp. Tickles didn’t make it very far, but after Tyco Preschool combined Dubren’s invention with a Sesame Street licensing deal, the toy became Tickle Me Elmo—so popular that the million units Tyco shipped to stores that December scarcely touched demand.
“There’s no question that in 1996, Tickle Me Elmo shot Elmo to his stardom,” confirms Scott Chambers, who oversees licensing for Sesame Street, home of the little red monster with 5.5
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