We like to think of a deal toy as a memento to celebrate the completion of a corporate deal. Whether real estate, medical, financial or investment banking – custom deal toys are often created as a gift and presented to the team members that made the deal a reality.
There's no doubt a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment go into the completion of any significant project – and deal toys can be a great way to remember the momentous event.
In this post, we are going to take a look at some important things to consider when ordering deal toys.
Deal toys should be unique
Sometimes called financial tombstones – the first thing you should remember is that creativity and uniqueness are inherent traits of a deal toy. Long gone are the days of the boring wooden plaque with traditional engraving. Now with the use of lasers, UV printers and Lucite® casting techniques – the options are almost limitless.
Take a look at some of these unique Deal Toy projects.
Spinner Acrylic Deal Toy
Created of primarily ¾” clear acrylic this unique deal toy uses black highlights in the base and the mock cell phone spinner feature. The front of the clear acrylic has been full color imprinted and then a frosted back applied to give the imprint a raised appearance. Using aluminum hardware, the laser cut mock cell phone made of black acrylic is UV printed to look much like the home screen for ATHmovil.
Gotcha Approved Patent Deal Toy
A unique embedment featuring a miniature replica of a product submission that has been approved by the US Department of Patents & Trademarks. The use of a blue highlight bottom sets off the orange and miniature patent document that are both gracefully suspended inside clear Lucite®.
Cyramza Antibody Vial Deal Toy
Simple yet elegant, this deal toy was used to celebrate the approval of Cyramza by the FDA. Notice the clarity of the Lucite® and how the vial appears to float inside the block. Vials can be cast in acrylic full or empty.
It’s important to note the uniqueness of each of these projects above – each representing a different type of deal in different industries.
Allow sufficient time to create your Deal Toys.
Custom deal toys take time – time to design, time to sample, time to fabricate and time to ship.It’s a good idea to allow a minimum of 4 weeks to make your deal toy a reality.
From first contact to shipping – here is a simplified look at the steps involved to create a custom deal toy.
- Initial communication with customer service (1-2 days)
- Graphic renderings (1-2 days)
- Back and forth communication to dial in concepts (1-2 days)
- Create prototype sample (3 days)
- Sample shipping (2 Days)
- Approval / modifications (3 Days)
- Scheduled production (7-10 Days)
- Shipping (4 days)
Since each custom deal toy often has its own set of unique manufacturing challenges – time is the most important factor in creating the right toy for any event.
Consider material options for your Deal Toy design.
We mentioned earlier that the days of traditional wood plaques to commemorate important deals are all but gone. Understanding some of the unique materials and manufacturing techniques available are the first steps in the deal toy design processes.
From a cast Lucite® deal toy exhibiting a memory from the project timeline to custom shapes signifying some of the deal highlights – understanding available materials and manufacturing techniques allows for a perfect blend of materials and creativity.
Think of materials as a substrate with limitless possibilities. For instance, working with liquid forms of Lucite® allows for the creation of custom shapes with just about any object inside the clear resins.
Common substrates used in the fabrication of deal toys are Lucite®, Staron® and aluminum. Lucite® sheets are offered in multiple colors and configurations, Staron® looks very much like granite and aluminum can be used in sheet form or as a hardware accent. Often combined to create multi layered deal toys with a character all their own.
Here is a more detailed look at how each of the materials described above can be used in the manufacturing process.
Acrylic
A blend of strength, clarity and ability to be fabricated. Acrylic or Lucite® as many would call it is offered in clear and multiple accent colors – each able to be fabricated into unique shapes and polished to a high gloss or blasted to give it a matte finish. Highly unbreakable – acrylic if chipped can be sanded and polished to preserve its beauty.
Lucite® polymers
Mixing a liquid polymer with a powdered monomer is the basis for creating liquid Lucite® a material that can be cast into molds with mementos gracefully suspended. Just as malleable as acrylic sheets – casting Lucite® gives added dimension to any object you wish to project or display for a lifetime.
Staron® solid surface
Like acrylic sheets – Staron® comes in multiple colors and can be fabricated to add accents to clear acrylic. Created in much the same way as liquid Lucite® with the exception of added pigments and color chips, it can be cast inside acrylic offering a blend of clarity and the solid appearance of granite. By viewing our Composites line – you can see how beautiful both mediums come together.
Aluminum
Often used as hardware – aluminum offers the contemporary look many of our clients wish to achieve with the strength and durability of stainless steel. You will find aluminum used for separating acrylic components as a standoff to offer a 3D appearance to the deal toy.
Consider fabrication abilities
The ability to fabricate materials into unique shapes, then decorate them with pertinent information can only be achieved with years of experience and the right equipment. Nowadays acrylic is fabricated with high power lasers, CNC routers and high-tech polishing equipment. Not to mention the careful attention to detail required to finish each piece to exacting standards.
Lasers are now capable of cutting through up to 1” thick acrylic leaving nicely finished edges on just about any shape you can imagine. Decorating with UV printers offers the added benefit of full color imagery on deal toys that can be used to replicate photographs. Not to mention casting custom shapes using liquid Lucite® resins to suspend your achievements for a lifetime.
Deal toys are often prized and displayed
A souvenir to last a lifetime – it is certain deal toys have their place in the corporate world. Commemorating deals goes farther than just recognizing the team – deal toys have the effect of indicating corporate achievement.
Often you will find deal toys displayed proudly in the corporate lobby trophy case highlighting the dates and details of each deal completed – thus offering an indication to potential clients the value added in becoming a client.
Have an idea for a Deal Toy?
Let the creative team at US Acrylic Awards guide you every step of the way. We’re committed to quality and customer service – the same commitment your team exhibited to get your deal done.
Written by noptim… unleash the power
