by Sky Castle Toys | 05 Sep 2024
Industry Commentary, Op-Ed
On Friday, June 21st, we received an email from Mary Couzin.
“I just happened to glance at our Google analytics and there are 35 people viewing your March article right now. Then I look to see how many views in last day and it’s at almost 1,500 views…So…what’s happening?”
Mary wasn’t the only one. Our inboxes were flooded, phones buzzing, and people we hadn’t heard from in months were reaching out. All because of a toy—a simple, colorful bracelet. But not just any bracelet; this one is changing the game.
This was all just a few months ago when Sticki Rolls exploded on social media. Within 72 hours of launch, we racked up 7 million views on YouTube and over 10 million views across all channels. For context, these numbers are the kind most brands dream of, but rarely see, even with big budgets and celebrity endorsements. We had done it…we had gone viral!
If you’re imagining just another beaded bracelet, think again. Sticki Rolls are the first-ever wearable, shareable sticker bracelets. Inspired by the viral sensation of friendship bracelets (thanks, Taylor Swift), these aren’t just accessories. Each bracelet is packed with 50 unique holographic, Kawaii-themed stickers—perfect for decorating anything from phone cases to water bottles, and yes, even your little brother’s forehead.
The magic? There are over 1,000 stickers to discover in Series 1 alone. Kids can’t get enough of them. It's not just a bracelet—it's a collectible, an unboxing experience, and a fashion statement all rolled into one.
Here’s the part that toy industry will appreciate: Sticki Rolls' viral success wasn’t ALL luck—it was the result of a carefully crafted strategy. At Sky Castle, we believe in the power of organic content. Before Sticki Rolls hit the market, we loaded our social channels with 8-12 short-form videos designed to build anticipation in advance of our Vidcon debut. This wasn’t about paid ads or influencer shoutouts. We wanted our early adopters to have something to binge-watch, something to share, something to talk about once they left the Anaheim Convention Center with their brand-new sticker bracelet on their wrist.
Within days of launch, we were flooded with comments, DMs, and emails from kids (and some very confused parents) all asking the same thing: “Where can we buy Sticki Rolls?” The funny thing was, at that point, there was nowhere to buy them. The demand was there, the hype was real, but we hadn’t even stocked the shelves yet.
Kids were scouring the web, trying to find anything related to Sticki Rolls. The only information that existed at that time were various trade articles written about Sticki Rolls from back in March like the Bloom Report! Even James Zahn from The Toy Book mentioned that his article was getting thousands of views per day, at one point reaching over 100,000 views in a single day.
In the world of toys, timing is everything. We had a small batch of inventory sent to Amazon, just enough to test the waters and get reviews rolling. The moment we enabled pre-orders on our Shopify store, that inventory vaporized. Pre-orders sold out faster than we could update the website, pushing shipment dates into September. And guess what? The orders just kept coming.
Last November we flew to Chicago to sit down with Rick Derr from Learning Express and share some early samples for feedback -- and he knew it when he saw it…this could be BIG! As one of the first stores to carry Sticki Rolls, he’s seen insane sales out of the gate. Even some of his own videos about Sticki Rolls have gone viral. A big shoutout to him for all the support from the beginning!
Now, here’s the part where most stories would end, but for Sticki Rolls, it’s just the beginning. Since June, we’ve sold through two waves of pre-orders, sold out of Amazon stock twice, and have more air freight on the way. We couldn’t even get our agency Freeman PR the samples they needed to run our media & influencer campaigns. 😂
At the time of this writing, we’ve amassed over 200,000 subscribers on YouTube and hit 150 million views across socials in less than three months. Clearly, we had hit a consumer segment directly with the right talent, content and product.
Sticki Rolls are the #1 New Release in Kids’ Bracelets on Amazon, and early sales are RED HOT at many retailers like Party City, Smyth’s UK, with more getting stock soon.
As we gear up for the next wave of Sticki Rolls, the excitement is palpable. Sticki Rolls is supported by pending patents and trademarks securing the IP and incredible international partners establishing solid distribution around the world. We’re heading to the 1960 Grand building in LA later this month. So, if you’re in the toy business and want to see what’s next, come find us. We promise it’ll be worth the trip.
A big thanks to Mary for reaching out and suggesting this article!
Sky Castle is just getting started. Sticki Rolls is more than a brand—it’s a platform. And if this launch has taught us anything, it’s that when you blend creativity with strategy, and listen to what the kids really want, you can turn a simple toy into a phenomenon.
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