Have you ever wanted to create that dream My Little Pony character, or your ideal Transformer, but never came up with the means to do so Well, Hasbro is ready to lend you a hand. The company has teamed up with Shapeways to launch a new program called SuperFanArt, which allows fans to create their own toys with the help of a 3D printer.
With the launch, Hasbro will introduce the My Little Pony franchise, with others to follow soon after if it meets with success. This seems like a sure bet, with fans able to customize their creations.
Through the SuperFanArt page, fans can create and share their designs with others, and even sell certain ones through Shapeways’ marketplace and community, if they’re in hot enough demand. After finding which products they want, consumers can place an order, and then print out whatever designs suit their fancy.
The really interesting thing in this process is how Hasbro has unleashed some of its precious IP and put it into the hands of consumers, which is something companies are typically loath to do. Yet allowing fans to play around with IP, when properly managed, is a terrific way to increase engagment with a brand. Plus, of course, fans will be eager to share their creations and show off their creative talent, which becomes a remarkably effective way of marketing the brand through persoal recommendation.
“Many fans of our brands have remarkable creative talents and SuperFanArt empowers these artists to create unique expressions of Hasbro brands,” said John Frascotti, chief marketing officer of Hasbro. “By partnering with Shapeways, the largest online marketplace for custom 3D printed products, we are able to provide artists with an unprecedented opportunity and also provide brand enthusiasts with access to unique one of a kind creations.”
“Shapeways enables anyone to get the products they want, and with this partnership, we can further expand this to fans to design products based on a major brand,” said Peter Weijmarshausen, CEO and co-founder of Shapeways.
Some of the samples are set to be on display during San Diego Comic-Con this week, to give consumers an idea just how effective a program it really is.
Source: Variety
