When Tonies needed a showpiece for their display at Selfridges in London, the brief was one that immediately caught our attention.
Build a half metre Gruffalo.
Entirely from scratch.
The challenge was not simply creating a recognisable character. The finished piece needed to capture the personality and detail of the much loved Gruffalo while being robust enough to take centre stage on a busy retail floor.
From digital model to physical character
The Gruffalo was 3D printed using biodegradable PLA filament.
Because of its size and complexity, the character was produced across multiple individual prints before being carefully assembled into one cohesive figure.
But printing the parts was only the beginning.
Once assembled, the surface was sanded and finished to remove the visible traces of the printing process and create the smooth surface needed for the final paintwork.
Then came the most hands on part of the build, bringing the character to life by hand.
Every detail was carefully painted, from the distinctive features of the Gruffalo through to the smaller elements that make the character instantly recognisable.
A showpiece for Selfridges
The finished Gruffalo was positioned proudly on top of a Tonies display box on the Selfridges shop floor.
At around half a metre tall, it was impossible to miss, creating a strong focal point and giving shoppers an instantly recognisable connection to the Tonies brand and its storytelling world.
The use of PLA also meant the project stayed aligned with our focus on more responsible material choices without compromising the finished result.
Big character, responsible materials and enough detail to make even the Gruffalo's own mother proud.
