When Marketing Campaigns Step Out of the Viewport
The branding world has just discovered what 3D artists have always known: a good model shouldn't stay on the screen 🖥️. Brands like Dior and Converse are turning renders into physical objects, proving that 3D printing is marketing's new superpower... and that we should all update our portfolios.
The Magic Trident of 3D Marketing
Why major brands are adopting this technology:
- War Speed: From 3D model to physical prototype in fewer hours than it takes to render a 4K animation
- Radical Personalization: From sneakers with your name to perfume bottles with your fingerprint
- Tactile Experience: Because an Instagram video will never compete with an object you can touch (and post on Instagram)
"3D allows us to fail fast, learn faster, and launch before the competition" - confesses the creative director of a brand that prefers not to sign its first failed prototypes.
Workflow: From Designer to Consumer
How an idea becomes a campaign:
- Modeling in Blender/Rhino with a focus on manufacturability
- Optimization for printing (supports, orientation, hollowing)
- Rapid prototyping using technologies like SLS or PolyJet
- Localized production through a network of industrial printers
- Distribution at physical experience points (pop-up stores, events)
Cases You Should Know (and Copy)
| Brand | Campaign | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Converse | Sneakers with unique AI-generated patterns | Multicolor FDM |
| Dior | Custom sunglasses in-store | Nylon SLS |
| Coca-Cola | Bottle caps with names printed on the spot | DLP resin |
Skills Every 3D Artist Should Polish
To not be left out of this revolution:
- Design for Manufacturing: Understand the limits and capabilities of each technology
- Impeccable Topology: Models ready to print without surprises
- Physical Textures: Master finishes that look good... without shaders
- 3D Scanning: To integrate biometric data into designs
The Final Irony
While brands celebrate the "novelty" of 3D printing, artists have known for years that it was cool. The only new thing is that now they pay us better... when they don't ask the intern with "Blender notions" directly. 💸
So now you know: next time you model something, think it could end up in the hands of an influencer... or in the landfill after a failed campaign. Commercial 3D is that exciting.