The company has pledged £10,000 of Your-Face Masks sale proceeds to NHS Charities Together.
The in-house innovation team at Wow! Stuff, which was recently announced as the official master toy licensee for The Gruffalo, has created a patent applied-for home print-your-own-mask kits in two categories; Fashion and Arts & Crafts.
The Your-Face Masks kits will enable users to customise and print their own face coverings with the touch of a button, and from the comfort of their own home. Any image can be printed onto the cotton sheets, be it a favourite animal, colourful pattern or even the wearer’s own face – selfies taken through the app 3D map the face to ensure the image covers the mask entirely, producing a lifelike result.
Speaking exclusively to Toy World, Richard North, CEO Wow! Stuff, described the range, which has already been selected by several major retailers, as “something quite special”. He told us: “It’s already bigger than anything we’ve ever done before and it’s got a patent applied for. It’s hitting the fastest growing consumer use item in the market but we’ve brought innovation to bear to help children – and adults – adopt their much needed use.”
A keen supporter of good causes, Wow! Stuff is also pledging £10,000 of sales proceed to the NHS Charities Together. While both product lines will be sold under Wow! Stuff’s subsidiary company, The Printable Face Mask co. Ltd, they’ll also be offered through Wow’s normal sales channels.
Wow! Stuff’s co-founder and head of Research and Development, Dr. Graeme Taylor, said: “Our face mask kits have been tested to meet World Health Organisation guidelines for barrier masks and AFNOR guidance on filtration and breathability. The technology allows you to replicate a picture of your face straight onto the cotton sheets so it looks almost like you’re not wearing a mask at all. It also contains ‘freestyle’ mode that enables you to print any image directly from your camera roll onto the sheets using a regular home printer. This is a game-changing first.”
Richard North added: “With the use of face coverings being encouraged by many countries around the world, many people, young and old, still seem a little self-conscious wearing them in public. We thought we could encourage people of all ages to feel more comfortable wearing them if they could express their personality a little. By moving on from the ‘clinical look’ and adding a touch of humour to a serious subject, we feel we can help get more people wearing face coverings and feeling positive about it.”
Each print-your-own-mask kit includes inkjet printable, breathable 100% percale cotton sheets with filtration fabric inserts, elasticated ear loops, comfort fit adjustable nose bands and iron-on web adhesive. Users will require a device running iOS 13 or Android 9 and a home printer. An easy-to-follow video tutorial featured on the app shows users how to craft custom masks in three easy steps.
The RRP of a 4-Pack is £11.99, while a 10-Pack is £24.99.
For Your-Face Mask retailer enquiries, readers should contact russ.winter@wowstuff.com.
