In early 2023, Playwell Bricks CEO Jason Pyett came to the decision that they would stop taking private commissions. There was just one thing left that the team wanted to try: a Kickstarter campaign of a limited edition, exclusive set made of genuine LEGO® bricks.

“I went into this reluctantly,” Pyett admits. “But I still wanted to take a chance on it,” because he believes that it’s important to have “a willingness to fail.”

Playwell Bricks designer Nathanaël Kuipers had just completed a masterpiece of a custom set of the Batmobile® from Batman: the Animated Series®. This, the team decided, was the perfect set to try out a Kickstarter campaign.

“The Batmobile®’s art deco style, with its minimalistic design, combines sleek aerodynamic lines with sharp edges, is the perfect match to convert to bricks,” says Kuipers.

At a whopping 1768 pieces and 22 inches (557 mm) long, this set is impressive. “Building such a big model requires a very rigid chassis,” explains Kuipers. “And I wanted to add some functionality which, to me, is to be expected of such a large model. I was able to integrate a working piston engine and a rocket launcher compartment that you can raise and lower by turning the dial on the rear. The long bonnet can, of course, be opened, as well as the canopy, to access the interior.”

Because Playwell was producing a physical set, the team could not legally call the vehicle the Batmobile®. After some deliberation, the team decided to rename the vehicle the Crusader’s Night Cruiser, paying homage to Batman®’s nickname of the Caped Crusader®.

The Kickstarter launched and the influencer reviews started appearing online. Hopes were high, even as brick enthusiasts began to complain that the limited edition, exclusive set was cost-prohibitive. “Lots of people loved the model,” says Pyett. “But very few were willing to actually support it.”

Ultimately, the Kickstarter never made the minimum sign-ups needed to make this bespoke Batbuild happen.

“I think it was Ed Sheeran who said ‘you learn nothing from success. You learn everything from failure.’ This Kickstarter gave me more of an indication of what the public wants,” says Pyett. “How can we serve that in the future?”

He grins. “My only regret is that I dragged my feet. So if anything, I didn’t fail fast enough.”

But there’s more to it than that. “This has really reinforced to me that we’re a high-level brand.” Pyett was already shifting into a corporate gifting model for Playwell Bricks. “It takes just as much work to produce one set as a hundred.”

It’s been almost a year since Pyett made the shift into corporate gifting, and so far, he’s delighted with the results and the growing number of happy and repeat clients Playwell Bricks has amassed, including Google, TWW yachts, Cytiva, and other high-end brands.

­­­If your company is looking for a bespoke model made of genuine LEGO® bricks for corporate gifting, Playwell Bricks’ incredible design talent is at your disposal. With an eye for elegant simplicity and our inclusion of your corporate branding, we’re here to build your dreams. Contact us today and find out what we can do for you!