Terns Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a biotechnology company with a focus on oncology and obesity. When Terns wanted to celebrate its team of employees and scientists, they reached out to Playwell Bricks with an idea and a desire to see what was possible.

Playwell’s contact at Terns explained that they were looking for a milestone gift, ideally something that could grow over time with the team members’ years of service. Their vision of this milestone gift would include an Arctic tern, Terns’ mascot. There was some discussion of the tern standing on a nest, and in the nest could be nestlings to indicate years of service, but the idea was ultimately abandoned because of budget and the ambiguity of meaning behind that imagery.

The team decided instead to build the tern and have it standing on a base that Playwell’s milestone bricks could be added onto. From there, this idea was turned over to the design team

Playwell Bricks’ Eric Dubois Yang designed this brick tern, which came together quite quickly, only to hit a snag during the test build, when the set did not pass the “Jason test.” This test, affectionately named after Playwell Bricks CEO Jason Pyett, is when a set is tested for stability. While it’s not likely a Playwell Bricks will need to withstand a small hurricane, Jason believes they should.

“There was a fragile point in its ankles where it attaches to the rock,” Eric explained. When shaken, the tern’s legs broke off of the brick rock designed for it to stand on. He soon found a solution: “the legs' bar actually ended up beyond the feet into the rock for stability.”

Once they approved Eric's design, the Terns team also sent out a message for Playwell to include in the Build Instructions, building on the brand meaning of the Arctic Tern while showing deep appreciation to their employees. “Every contribution you’ve made has helped shape who we are,” read part of this message. “Like the Arctic Tern itself—a bird that travels farther than any other animal on Earth—you know what it looks like to go the distance, and we’re grateful to have had you alongside us on our journey.”

Inspire gratitude, elevate your brand, and celebrate relationships with intention. Playwell Bricks partners with you to brand well, build well, and gift well, delivering gifts that lift your culture and message. Contact us to schedule your discovery call today.