Trivial Pursuit (game)
Trivial Pursuit is a popular board game that was created by two Canadian reporters in the 1970s and became widely available in the United States in 1982. The game gained immense popularity following a strategic word-of-mouth marketing campaign by Selchow and Righter, which involved distributing copies to entertainment figures and toy buyers. This effort led to remarkable sales, with 1.3 million copies sold in 1983, far exceeding initial expectations. By 1984, it had turned into a cultural phenomenon, with an estimated 20 million copies sold that year, as families across the U.S. engaged in late-night Trivial Pursuit gatherings. The game captured the nostalgia of baby boomers and spurred a significant rise in the adult board game market, leading to overall sales of $777 million in 1984. Various themed versions, such as Silver Screen and Junior, were introduced, and other companies began creating similar games, reflecting the game's impact on board gaming culture. The widespread appeal of Trivial Pursuit highlights its role in social interactions and the enjoyment of trivia knowledge among diverse audiences.
On this Page
Trivial Pursuit (game)
Trivia board game
A serious fad among baby boomers in the early 1980’s, Trivial Pursuit helped revive sales of adult-oriented board games and was a good example of the use of word-of-mouth advertising.
Created by two Canadian reporters in the 1970’s, Trivial Pursuit was first made available for sale in the United States in 1982. The company that purchased the game, Selchow and Righter, employed a word-of-mouth advertising strategy, sending copies of the game to people in the entertainment industry, radio personalities, and toy buyers at the 1983 New York Toy Fair. This promotion strategy led to 1.3 million copies of the game being sold in 1983; the company’s goal had been to sell 300,000 copies. By 1984, Trivial Pursuit had become a fad similar to the Cabbage Patch Kids, with copies of the game selling out as quickly as they hit the shelves. It was estimated that about 20 million copies of the game were sold in 1984. The New York Times that year published several stories of Trivial Pursuit parties that lasted well into the night, and confessions from “Trivial Pursuit addicts.” In 1984, thanks to the popularity of the game, sales of the adult board games reached $777 million. In 1986, it was estimated that 1 in 5 families in the United States owned the game.
Impact
Numerous articles were written speculating about Trivial Pursuit’s popularity, with popular culture critic Jack Santino suggesting in 1985 that the game’s devotion among baby boomers was a result of their generation “developing a nostalgia for a shared era.” Strong sales continued throughout the decade, as new versions of the game, such as Silver Screen, Junior, Genus II, and Baby Boomer were introduced. Similar games were produced by other board-game companies in an attempt to cash in on the fad, and there was an increase in the number of adult board games being introduced to the market overall.
Bibliography
Dougherty, Philip. “Trivial Pursuit Campaign.” The New York Times, July 17, 1984, p. D19.
Santino, Jack. “From Jogging to Trivia Games, Fads Create Status.” U.S. News and World Report, February 11, 1985.
“Seeking Board Game Bonanza.” The New York Times, December 30, 1986. p. D1.
Wulffson, Don. L. Toys! Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions. New York: Henry Holt, 2000.