Looking for exec toy ideas

[Dave Lock]

Hi everyone.

I'm looking for ideas for a marketing company to convey a message to it's customers. It would need to have the persons name on it. The message will be a URL to a personal web page on their website.

This thing needs to be interactive. In a previous thread I was interested to see the Planetary wheel business card which has a certain wow factor. Turning the gears could reveal the URL for example.

I have seen the Spirograph idea which is pretty cool. It would be even better if instead of producing a fancy pattern, it could write the URL, but thats getting rather complex, if it's at all possible.

It doesn't need to be business card size necessarily but in this case, small is good.
Something along the lines as a exec's desk toy, puzzle or something that he/she will want to leave on his desk rather than it heading for the bin.

Obviously Acrylic would be good as the material of choice as it's cheap and easy to deal with using the laser.

If anyone has any ideas along these lines I'd love to hear them.

Cheers

Dave.

[Dee Gallo]

I like the turning gears idea, especially if you write the url across the gears and it only reads correctly when they are lined up "just so". Interactive with a reward at the end!

Also check out the recent acrylic puzzle made by Joe Pelonio, a very cool concept.

:) dee

[Dave Lock]

Thanks for the heads up Dee,

Yes, Joe's puzzle is quite interesting, food for thought.

"Interactive with a reward at the end"... You hit the nail right on the head there.

Thanks again

Dave.

[Dan Hintz]

I don't think I've seen this one posted here yet... business card calipers.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:782

[Dee Gallo]

Dan, that's pretty neat - leave it to you to find it!

Dave, what kind of business is this for? Might give you a place to start brainstorming.

cheers, dee

[Dave Lock]

Nice find Dan.
Could be one of the options.

Dee,

It's a Marketing company that works with the corporate type big brand names. So the products being marketed are varied. The idea is each of the corporate contacts has access to a personal web page on the marketing company website. The gizmo I'm working with them on needs to be personalized in as much as it has the persons name on it and interactive in a way that they need to do something with it (turn a wheel, slide out a part, solve a puzzle etc.) which would convey to the person the URL of their page.
The Planetary Gear business card would be good id you could turn the gear to line things up to reveal the URL. It would be aimed at say, automotive companies but wouldn't be ideal for say, sports wear clients.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be that specific, a puzzle like the one you mentioned in Joe's thread could be good for all company types.

The idea is that if it was some sort of desk toy it would more likely stay on the desk rather than be filed in the bin!!

Thanks again,

Dave.




Each of the

[Dee Gallo]

Dave, have you seen a tangram? It's a simple square cut into 5 or 6 shapes which can be arranged to make hundreds of silhouettes. You could choose the silhouette which best suits the company in question, but also the puzzle can be used in its usual way. Easy to cut from acrylic or wood too. I've even seen keychains made with them attached to a ball chain through little holes in each shape.

Just google "tangram" and you will see the puzzle and all of the shapes possible.

cheers, dee

[Dave Lock]

Dave, have you seen a tangram? It's a simple square cut into 5 or 6 shapes which can be arranged to make hundreds of silhouettes. You could choose the silhouette which best suits the company in question, but also the puzzle can be used in its usual way. Easy to cut from acrylic or wood too. I've even seen keychains made with them attached to a ball chain through little holes in each shape.

Just google "tangram" and you will see the puzzle and all of the shapes possible.

cheers, dee

Hey thanks Dee,

I've not seen one of those before. I'll have a look into these. Cool idea.

Thanks very much.

Dave.

[Eric DeSilva]

Not exactly sure what you are aiming at, but have you seen this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ranh/106709219/

A company called Puzzled, Inc. used to do 3D models that were built with flat parts--e.g.:

http://www.amazon.com/Tyrannosaurus-Dinosaur-Woodcraft-Construction-Kit/dp/B000MUXFG4/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1248052156&sr=1-19

Maybe you could combine the two and do something that reveals its character when correctly assembled?

[Jack Harper]

What about a slide puzzle? Also, check out http://www.imprintitems.com/toys/puzzles for a number of puzzle ideas.

[Dee Gallo]

That's a good site, Jack, thanks!

[Dave Lock]

What about a slide puzzle? Also, check out http://www.imprintitems.com/toys/puzzles for a number of puzzle ideas.


As Dee said, useful site. Thanks for the link.

Dave.

[Roy Nicholson]

I've drawn some of the basic puzzles up in Corel Draw.

They are only geometrics.

I've put the lines in red as that's my vector cuting colour

If anyone comes up with some interesting wording please share them.


Regards


Roy N.

[Dave Lock]

I've drawn some of the basic puzzles up in Corel Draw.

They are only geometrics.

I've put the lines in red as that's my vector cuting colour

If anyone comes up with some interesting wording please share them.


Regards


Roy N.

Many thanks for sharing Roy.

It's always good to keep options handy.

Dave.