A couple of months ago, I received a call from a true toy industry legend who said that he was about to launch one of his most amazing product lines to-date, and he wanted to work with our team to develop its packaging. That call came from none other than Richard X Zawitz, sculptor and creator of Tangle, the original fidget toy.
Yes. That’s right. Back in the early ‘80s, long before the onslaught of sensory toys that started a burgeoning category of all things “fidget,” Zawitz created the Tangle, a continuous loop of tubular, quarter-circle sections connected end to end that can be twisted and shaped into infinite configurations. When you pick one up, you can’t put it down. It is truly the first and ultimate fidget toy.
Merging two categories to create a new sensory experience
Four successful decades later, the iconic brand is still going strong. And, Zawitz has come up with an innovative, new take on the Tangle concept that is set to turn both the fidget toy and plush toy categories on their heads. The Tangle Furry Fidget Friends are a collectible line of “magical, creative creatures” with cute furry heads, bright glittery eyes and bodies made of plush-encased Tangles. These cuddly characters are not only adorable, they’re a twist and fidget sensory companion, stimulating creativity and imagination as kids bend and shape their manipulative plush bodies.
But, the Tangle Furry Fidget Friends are much more than a toy. They’re an innovative, new ASMR and tactile experience for kids, providing therapeutic benefits such as minor stress relief, the building of fine motor skills and the improvement of hand, body and brain wellness.
Package design that brings to life a magical and creative new world
The initial product launch is the Wonder Series, which includes Uni, Chay, Zonk, Skye and Wisdom. And, they all come from the land of Tangleonia – the place where magic and creativity are never done – to become every kid’s furry fidget friend.
Our design solution for the Tangle Furry Fidget Friends logo incorporates colorful, fur-covered arced shapes that have been twisted into the “FURRY” typography, and twisted yellow Tangle sections to hold “Fidget Friends.” The package design leverages a “bendable” structure, which is a vertical card that folds in a few places to allow the product to weave its way through it. The overall design puts the consumer in the Tangleonian jungle, with the city of Tangleonia off in the distance. When the product is removed from the package, a “Friendship I.D. Card” is revealed on the back panel, ready for kids to personalize about the fun things they enjoy doing with their new friend.
The story of the Tangle Furry Fidget Friends, which appears on the back panel of every package, reads:
In a world that’s full of wonder and light,
our furry friendship will bring you delight!
I’m soft and bendable and soon you will learn,
I spark magic and creativity with every twist and turn!
Let’s play together wherever you go,
I’ll come along and help your imagination grow!
In a place called Tangleonia you’ll discover the key,
to unlock inspiration and set your heart free!Because Tangleonia is the place, I’m sure you’ll agree,
that brings magic and creativity to you and me!
With sales of collectible toys on the rise, and the fidget toy category still commanding attention in the industry, the Tangle Furry Fidget Friends are sure to be another Zawitz success story and another amazing Tangle Creations product.
