Do-it-yourself bracelets a looming success story
Low-tech Rainbow Loom this year’s hottest toy trend
Of all the new toys this year, this one looms large.
Low tech but high on creativity, the Rainbow Loom has kids hooked — spending hours after school and on weekends making bracelets weaving together small, colourful rubber bands on a simple plastic loom.
“This product has the combination of all the winning traits” which makes it such a hit, said Jon Levy, co-founder and CEO of Mastermind Toys, who felt so strongly after speaking with the loom’s creator that his first order of the loom — then largely unknown in Canada — equalled a year’s worth of a bestselling toy.
Since that first shipment arrived in May, he’s placed about 10 more orders of varying sizes.
“It’s fairly easy to use, but not too easy, so it’s a challenge,” explained Levy, who himself wears a Rainbow Loom bracelet. “It’s a really engaging activity and it brings out the creativity in kids. It has an inventiveness element around it, and a comparative element — what are other kids doing? — and a research element in that you go online and learn from YouTube what other kids have done, or post your own so there’s a gratification element as well.”
The popularity of the loom, which appeals to both girls and boys from 7 to 13 years old, has swept across the U.S. and into Canada, with some stores in Greater Toronto unable to keep up with the demand.
Choon Ng, 45, a Detroit crash-safety engineer at Nissan, came up with the idea three years ago after watching his daughters Teresa, now 15, and Michelle, now 12, struggle as they made bracelets from ponytail holders.
“I tried to make them, but my fingers were too big,” Ng said in an interview, so he went to his basement, fashioning one from wood and push pins.
“I was so excited, but they were not excited at all,” he said. So, back to the drawing board, he added three rows allowing for complex patterns, eventually going through 28 versions.
“Once they saw it, they were freaked out. They said, ‘Wow, dad, this is so cool.’ Finally, I was able to impress them.”
However, getting the loom to market wasn’t easy. Ng and his wife Fen sunk their life savings — $10,000 — into developing the product, getting it manufactured in China and assembling the kits in their basement with the help of friends and neighbours. In 2011, when he went to sell the looms at local malls, he didn’t get much traction. Toy stores weren’t interested.
“It’s not like popcorn, or a sandwich. It’s nothing that people can relate to,” he said. “People thought it was too difficult to make.”
Ng then built a website to sell that is still in use today, but found customers couldn’t understand what the loom could do.
Family members made explanatory videos and posted them to YouTube, some of which have garnered millions of views. He bought Google ads to push sales from his website.
One day in July 2012, a Learning Express outlet in Georgia placed an order for 24 looms. Two days later, the store had to reorder. Then, a few days later, a $10,000 order. And that began the trend.
“We call it the sleep-away camp hit of the year, that’s where it became hot. And then it was brought home, and kids who weren’t in camp found it, and it’s been on fire,” said Jim Silver, CEO of TimetoPlayMag.com.
Parents love the toy because it’s simple. It doesn’t require a battery. It doesn’t mean more screen time and it isn’t an app. “It’s an activity. You can sit down and create,” he said. “Parents also like it when they show creativity. And you’re not done playing with it because you can wear it.”
In Canada, kits are sold at places like Mastermind and Michaels craft stores and retail for under $20, which includes the loom, hook and 600 rubber bands, enough for 24 bracelets. Refill elastics start at $3.95 a pack.
Parents love the Rainbow Loom because it’s simple and doesn’t require a battery or screen time
Levy, who has dubbed the crafty kids “loom-ineers,” says Mastermind even runs free how-to workshops on weekends.
“I like the patterns,” said 9-year-old Maddy Calconi as she and friends Ava Roodbol and Charlotte Siller shared time on a loom after school Thursday.
While watching YouTube videos showing more intricate designs, the trio rhymed off a number of favourites, including the fishtail, crazy 8, zippy chain, starburst and tulip tower.
“It’s just fun weaving them,” said Charlotte.
“They are fun to make and trade with your friends,” added Ava.
Since the loom has come to market, several copycat products have cropped up, including the Shimmer ’n Sparkle Cra-Z-Loom bracelet and the Fun Loom.
While Rainbow Loom has done well, selling more than 1.5 million units to date, Silver said they could easily have sold10 times that number had it been sold through bigger retailers like Walmart and Toys R Us.
Despite the sales, Silver thinks it’s probably still a fad, similar to the Silly Bandz craze from a few years back.
“It will definitely last through Christmas. Things like this generally go 18 months or two years,” he said, unless new variations are developed.
Queen’s University marketing professor Ken Wong believes this type of product would have been more difficult to bring to market a decade ago. “I think this shows how e-commerce is changing the landscape,” he said.
Ng is still refining the product, to offer silicone bands that come in brighter colours or tie-dye colours. He also hopes to bring a smaller loom, a travel version, at half the price, that should hit the market early next year.
Rainbow Loom is also heading to Europe and Australia.
Ng remains humble with all the success, noting he’s still driving his 13-year-old car and hasn’t spoiled his daughters, wanting them to learn the value of work.
“Every inventor has this dream that their product will take off,” he said. “I treasure this, and this experience that has happened to us.”