Australian Tazos

Australian Tazos were collectible plastic discs distributed by Frito-Lay and its Australian subsidiaries as promotional inserts in snack food packaging, released in several physical formats over the years including the original circular disc and later octagonal shapes. Each Tazo carried a printed score value, and children used them to play a knock down or flipping game similar to the older game of Pogs, in which players could win one another's Tazos through play rather than simply collecting them passively. Official Australian releases ran from 1995, beginning with a Looney Tunes themed set, through at least 2008, with later series licensed from properties including Star Wars, Yu Gi Oh and various rugby and football competitions. Most sets were made from plastic, though some later series experimented with other materials, including an aluminum and cardboard version of a 2004 Yu Gi Oh Metalix set. As a promotional collectible built around a simple physical flipping and scoring contest rather than a purchased tabletop product, Australian Tazos represent a distinct branch of children's game culture from the same period as more conventional board and card games in this atlas.