3D printing has come a long way over the past couple of decades in what’s been a transition from the very first commercial 3D printer back in 1984, reaching the market at a staggering cost of $300k per machine, to today’s highly developed and digitally integrated systems; costing far less than in the 80’s and capable of producing parts in multi-colour, multi material and high definition; making them the ideal companion for producing marketing models and innovative marketing campaigns.

Here at the 3D Print Bureau we have a range of high performing 3D print technologies, ideal for producing sturdy and high definition marketing models. Whether you’re looking to create a design prototype to put in front of potential buyers and stakeholders or you’re looking for a cost effective way to create detailed models for use in media promotions, we have a solution. Check out some of ways 3D printing can be an ideal solution for producing marketing models below!

Product Personalisation

3D printing is a cost effective way to create personalised marketing models and is capable of creating highly accurate ‘look alike’ 3D prints. In 2013, the global drinks brand Coca Cola utilised 3D print technology for their campaign in Israel which introduced their new mini Coca Cola bottles.

Customers were given the opportunity to create mini versions of themselves in an in-app game, in which some of the luck winners were then invited to the Coca Cola factory to be scanned and 3D printed. These 3D printed ‘mini me’ models were taken home as keep sakes by the lucky winners.

By utilising 3D print technology, the Coca Cola Mini campaign received local and international press coverage and was featured on all major newspapers, new sites, blogs and social media, became number one in Israel’s app store with over 100,00 downloads and achieved their yearly sale goal after only 2 months.

Check out the Campaign Video for yourself here: http://blog.drupa.com/en/5-ways-how-3d-printing-takes-marketing-to-a-new-level-2/

Models that are tricky to create

Sometimes there’s a requirement for marketing models that are complex in design with small, delicate features and finite details which are time consuming and costly to create by hand. In one of Zoopla’s most recent ads in 2017, the property website teamed up with creative agency Riff Raff Films to create an advert with a tight deadline of just one week.

The advert featured a group of Hermit Crabs on the beaches of Costa Rica, who were in the market for a new home; their new homes being tiny model shells with intricate model houses attached. The design of the shells needed to be as accurate as possible, and since real crabs were to be used, they needed to be safe and habitable for the little critters.

To do this the creative agency utilised the Stratasys Objet Connex 3 multi-material, multi-colour 3D printer. Simon Taylor, Creative Director and Designer of the project commented “From the beginning, I knew this was a job for 3D printing. It would have been impossible to achieve the level of realism required with conventional, hand-model making”. He also remarked “With Stratasys’ multi-colour, multi-material 3D printing, we were able to mirror every cure, bump and nook of a shell’s natural shape, including the interior”.

The shells were printed in Digital ABS material and in a short lead time, with the machines running around the clock, the creative team were able to produce 20 shells in under a week.

Watch the full commercial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4np7_o341MI

For when the campaign needs a little more creative flair 

There are some types of marketing campaigns that need a little more creative flair and outside the box thinking to reach a commercial audience. In 2013, Belgium insurance company DVV encountered this issue and needed a way to create a memorable campaign that would reach their target audience. They came up with an initiative called ‘Key Save’, an idea which sympathised with many of its current and potential customers.

DVV used 3D printing to allow customers to scan their keys and save a copy onto a secure server. Then when a customer lost their key, they were able to access the file on the server and 3D print a new one! Not only did this campaign set DVV apart from other insurance companies with this unique service, they were able to tap into a new market that not only saved their customers time and convenience, it reduced the costs associated with key loss and damages for the insurance company too.

Watch the full commercial here: https://vimeo.com/70048679

Bring your campaign to life

Incorporating 3D printing into your marketing campaign can be an ideal way to reach a new level and connect with your target audience in a highly personal way, making your campaign stand out against others. In 2012, Volkswagen came up with ‘The Polo Principle’ campaign, with the key message that Volkswagen brings the best innovations to all of its customers, not just those buying higher end vehicles.

Based in Copenhagen, ‘The Polo Principle’ campaign enabled consumers to design their own Polo online, of which the top 40 most creative designs were then 3D printed and used as marketing models to be displayed at the Danish Design Centre; 40 winners were then invited to attend the event. After the exhibition, which received a heightened amount of press coverage at the time, one lucky winner was selected and their design was turned into a real life Polo which the winner was then able to drive around for the summer.

This was an ingenious effort of Volkswagen’s part to promote their brand and to treat their customers. The campaign resulted in buyer preference increasing by 16%, Sales increased by 17% compared to the previous year, and confirmed their campaign principle that great innovations should be available to everyone by allowing consumers access to a technology which was otherwise out of their reach.

Watch the campaign video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46rCu9l0sxs

There you have four great and innovative ways in which 3D printing can really transform your marketing campaign. From enabling the creation of complex marketing models which would otherwise be tricky and rather costly to make, to being able to personalise products and campaigns to reach the consumer on a highly personal and engaging level, as well as standing out from the crowd and bringing your  marketing campaigns to life with creative flair and originality.

3D printing is creating a new age of digital marketing campaigns. In an age where consumers demand personalisation, differentiation and individuality, 3D printing is helping organisations to come up with campaigns that meet the needs of today’s 21^st century consumers. To enquire about using our 3D Print Bureau services for 3D marketing models and marketing campaign creation, get in touch with our team on 01782 757320, or alternatively email contactus@3dpb.co.uk.