In 2020 Rubik’s will celebrate the 40th anniversary since the Cube craze went global at retail. In the time since its international launch in 1980 an estimated 450 million Rubik’s Cubes have been sold and approximately one in seven people has played with a Rubik’s Cube. It has started art movements (Rubik Cubism); featured in pop videos, Hollywood movies and even had its own TV show.
The appeal of the Rubik’s brand continues to cut across age, taste and cultures; having established itself as the world’s best selling toy for over 3 decades, it has recently enjoyed a major resurgence in the market, with record sales and a renaissance in the eyes of the media and opinion formers.
To celebrate this landmark in 2020, Rubik’s Brand is planning a range of events, special products and exciting fashion collaborations to celebrate the Rubik’s legacy. This campaign will include the launch of exciting new product collaborations with major fashion brands, apparel chains and retailers globally that will pay homage to Rubik’s pop culture iconicity through specially curated 40th anniversary collections supported by a global Influencer and ambassador program, that will include Hollywood celebrities, sports stars, music icons and speedcubers, complemented by a multi channel social media strategy. There will also be a new invention and twisty puzzle, created by Rubik’s Cube originator Ernő Rubik and these will be powered by a multimillion dollar global TV campaign and a 20 month PR campaign.
Rubik’s brand extensions are the brainchild of Smiley CEO Nicolas Loufrani, who has been developing the brand into new categories and products since 2017. He states: “When I first met Ernő Rubik I was absolutely in awe. His story is incredible. He is the only person from the former communist bloc to have become a global household brand name. It is the only retro game to still be a massive hit with new generations of kids and teens. His creation is above all a work of art, a symbol of pop culture and this is what made me want to bring the talents of the Smiley studio to leverage this fabulous legacy and work on a brand extension strategy.”
Loufrani added, “Rubik’s and their global distributors and licensees are putting in place a fantastic plan to engage the public. Don’t miss the opportunity to get involved, join us!”