Former Funko CEO Is Ready For His Next Big Toy Story With Thrilljoy
Brian Mariotti is ready to take on the world of collectibles again with his brand-new company, Thrilljoy
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The Pix packaging isn't a small box like it's Funko contemporary. Instead, the larger box features a magnetic flap, allowing for easy access to the collectible. From there you can remove the plastic molding on top and take the framed figure out. There's a screw on the back that you can undo to remove the figure from the frame. Mariott explained that this way, if you have to sell it, you can still enjoy it without damaging the box.
"How we designed this was you can open the product, remove it, and you're able to put it right back in if you ever have to sell it. All of that tells an immortalized-in-pop-culture moment that we tried to capture here. I think it's a completely different product that can really tug at your heartstrings with something that you love. Whether it's Lebron James breaking a scoring record or your favorite episode of Masters of the Universe…whatever gets you excited, I think this product represents a lot of those elements."
Mariotti doesn't want to just put out toys with licenses this time around, he wants to go deeper with how he can connect someone's love of pop culture into a commodity itself. Starting out though, he knew that certain licensors would be easy to wrangle, but thought about how to expand on that.
"I knew that all of our partners I've been with for 20 years that helped us build the Funko business and their revenue streams would gravitate to this new concept pretty easily. I still think there are a few licenses that we didn't get at Funko that we're going to look at through a different lens and maybe bring in those collaborations with the sneaker culture, athletes, musicians, actors and their love for pop culture."
He gave the example of Luka Doncic, an NBA player for the Dallas Mavericks who famously loves Dragon Ball Z. Mariotti elaborated on how he wants to intersect all of that together. Enter Eric Peng.
"[Eric's] got that skill set of what the sneaker culture loves and has relationships with Nike and Adidas and Under Armor, and brings us a diverse ownership group that can really reach out and do a lot of different things that maybe we didn't do at Funko."
That level of collaboration might be reminiscent to some fans of what Kid Robot does with their artist collaboration drops. Mariotti feels "there's no limit" to what Thrilljoy can do and wants to elevate that type of collectibility and the scene at large.
"You see products here that start at $50 and they go up to $150. But we also have product that are designed that start at $500, $1000 that are going to blow people away," he added. "We don't want to be put inside any kind of box and we want to be able to express pop culture in a way that is very artistic, very unique, and very different, and yet very limited. You're going to have that chase piece and that super chase piece that really gets the fans going."
A major potential difference with Thrilljoy, compared to other collectible companies, is that it is working to reach beyond the standard consumer/producer relationship. Mariotti said that he doesn't want just fans to be just consumers, but actually have a stake in the company's longevity. The best way to do that, he thought, was to offer stock in the company itself.
While no details of the plan or a timetable on when to expect it were revealed, Mariotti thinks it will be a great way to build trust with the community. "We want to bring in our fans in an ownership capacity with our fan advisory board and we're literally giving away stock to certain fans and influencers that have a narrative or a unique look on pop culture that is going to benefit the company," he said. "I want them to hold us accountable for fan interaction and fan ideas and fan licenses that they are really passionate about."
One thing in common with companies like Funko, though, is that Thrilljoy has a mascot. While Funko may have Freddy Funko, Thrilljoy's Bloo--a blue and white yeti--will become an easily identifiable symbol synonymous with the company. And, so far, Bloo is a hit.
"I'm obsessed with yetis. From the Matterhorn Yeti from Disneyland to Bumbles from Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I knew there had to be some Yeti in here somehow. It's funny though, out of all the lines, Bloo was the first to sell out, with Mars Attacks being second. That was surprising to see people gravitate towards the look and feel of Bloo."
You can find out more about Thrilljoy, their upcoming loyalty program, and the toys and apparel its offering now at their site here.
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This story originally appeared on: GameSpot - Author:UK GAG
