TANTRUM CASES: STAR WARS™ & MARVEL
An Epic Case for
an Epic Franchise
Multifaceted design, brand, manufacturing, and launch support for an ultra premium Disney-licensed collectable.
The Need
Tantrum Cases is a small, veteran-owned company in Kerrville, Texas that creates phone cases out of a solid block of aircraft grade aluminum. The company started building cases to keep their phones safe in the workshop, but word of mouth carried and soon they were building cases for everyone.
Soon their corporate leadership decided to branch out into licensing. Starting with Marvel and even getting screen time in Jurassic World, Tantrum soon found themselves on the doorstep of Lucasfilm, Ltd. To get the most of this license, we all agreed that every single product needed superior design, packaging, and manufacturing standards.
OUR APPROACH:
We began working as full partners with Tantrum during their pre-license startup days. We created standard packaging and sales materials for their evergreen cases, including AT&T point of sale solutions and collaborations with other accessory manufacturers.
With the evolution into the Lucasfilm license, we worked directly with the Lucasfilm team on design and packaging for the Tantrum Star Wars® Edition. From concept sketch to shelf and every step in between, our team was fully integrated into the Tantrum marketing and manufacturing machine. We attended and created exhibits for Tantrum at Star Wars Celebration® and San Diego ComicCon®, among other landmark shows in the collectible space. We also coordinated with embedded teams at both Lucasfilm and Amazon for an Amazon Exclusives launch for the Star Wars® product lineup.
PRODUCT DESIGN
For the cases, we used a combination of designs provided by Lucasfilm and original creative based on the Star Wars canon, collaborative market research, and two of the biggest Star Wars® nerds alive (turns out they were right here in our office.) Each design had to pass a very tight approval process in design, materials, and final polish. To their credit, the brilliant trailblazers at Disney will accept no less.
PACKAGE DESIGN
In making a premium, collectible product, we knew the packaging should reflect what we’d hope to see in a near-ceremonial unboxing video. We created packaging that would not only act as protection for shipping, but also as a display piece, should the consumer wish to leave the phone case in the box.
Coordinating with some of the best in the packaging production industry, and designed fully to Disney’s brand standards, a striking presentation came together. With a retail price of over $200 per case, the box had to do this collectible justice. Blending materials, artwork, function, and budget, the Tantrum Star Wars® Edition still appears on collector’s shelves.
