www.3ders.org

Aug. 17, 2014

Global branded play leader, Hasbro announced in July a partnership with a 3D printing company, Shapeways, to launch SuperFanArt, a website that enables Hasbro fans to showcase their artwork and sell their 3D printed designs on Shapeways.

SuperFanArt debuts with 3D printed My Little Pony figures, inviting fans around the globe to create and share their inspired designs. At launch, SuperFanArt showcased work by several talented fan artists such as Brian Harris, Brandon Lee Johnson, Paul Philbin, Melinda Rose and Christophe Vidal. Consumers can visit SuperFanArt to browse 3D printed products designed by the artists and then click through to each artist's shop to place an order.

Hasbro has long been known for making toys and games based on movies and TV shows for more than 180 markets around the world. The toy maker started the Transformers franchise in 1984, and has constinuously expanded the brand into other media, including mobile apps, video games, live-action movies, and theme park rides.

But when Hasbro focused on Transformers movies, the sales of toy lines declined. In February Hasbro announced a co-venture with 3D Systems to co-develop, co-venture and deliver creative play experiences powered by 3D printing for children and their families later this year, hoping to generate a bit of marketing hype and keep pace with the game-changing 3D printing technology. on May 9th, Hasbro filed a new 3D printing trademark application for the term "Allspark", which includes computer software program for designing and customizing 3D files for 3D printing and a website that allows users to download, design, or share 3D printable models.

"Many fans of our brands have remarkable creative talents and SuperFanArt empowers these artists to create unique expressions of Hasbro brands," said John Frascotti, CMO, Hasbro, Inc. "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."

This partnership with Shapeways was a huge success, and now both companies were ready to add more 3D printed products to be featured on the site, including Habro brands Transformers, Monopoly etc.

Following is an open letter from Hasbro & Shapeways inviting 3D printing community to participate:

As you may have heard, Hasbro and Shapeways are working together to encourage artists to create and sell 3D designs based on Hasbro's iconic brands. Our July launch of SuperFanArt.com featured five artists and their My Little Pony-based designs. We've generated substantial press and attention for the artists, Shapeways and Hasbro with our story of a major entertainment company empowering fans to engage with their brands. Given this early success, we want to expand this opportunity to include more artists, more Hasbro brands and more 3D printed awesomeness.

 

This letter is an invitation for you to become part of SuperFanArt and the broader Hasbro and Shapeways communities, so we can help you promote and sell your designs to other fans. If you have a passion to develop 3D-printable art based on any of the following brands, we'd like to hear from you:

• Dragonvale
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Monopoly
• My Little Pony
• Scrabble (to be sold in US and Canada only)
• Transformers

Get your designs ready and visit SuperFanArt.com on August 22 for instructions on how to upload your work for promotion and sale. We hope you'll join us in expanding the power of 3D printing by becoming a part of this exciting movement!

 

Your friends at Hasbro & Shapeways

Overtime, the company hopes to add and include more brands and artists to the 3D printing website. "With 3D printing, you can make one of something, you don't need to have 10,000 or 50,000 units to make it or not, you can make one of something and that's fine," Frascotti said. For every new product, Hasbro could just make smaller batches of toys, and then test them in the market.

"Instead of trying to prohibit it, they're enabling it, and I think that's awesome," said Peter Weijmarshausen, chief executive of Shapeways.

 

 

Posted in 3D Printing Services

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