About this project
Warms revolves around the idea of giving a tangible, heartwarming or
endearing, surprise gift to a friend, colleague, or loved one for a
special occasion.
Everybody at some point gives casual gifts - for birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, congratulations, miss you, job well done, get well soon, and so on. But these gifts often lack originality (ahem, flowers), take themselves too seriously (uh, fruit baskets), or deliver very little substance or intrigue (lookin' at you cards and e-cards) to the recipient.
We want to create an alternative; something that's fun, unusual, experiential, and affordable. Something that arrives unexpected, reveals itself in layers, and thoughtfully conveys your sentiments without taking a lot of your time.
Send a Warm.
Warms are small, amusing and endearing single-action, single-sound plush characters. A Warm comes packed in a mini hinge-top wood crate (handmade, approximately 64 cubic inches - photos here) and, similar to the jack-in-the-box of yesteryear, its main purpose in life is to surprise - with a hug or a heart, for example. Once opened, the recipient can use an embedded code found inside the lid to unlock online a private personalized multimedia message recorded by the giver via upload or webcam (screenshots here).
We think this layered approach -- tangible mysterious delivery, smile-provoking unboxing, embedded emotional connection with the giver, and a bonus e-gift reward -- is an innovative improvement on stodgy traditional gift-giving. Cheaper than flowers and more substantial than e-cards, Warms have a sense of humor and are way more fun to give.
We are seeking the support of the Kickstarter community to get things going. A pledge here now will secure yourself a charter membership and a limited-run inaugural edition "I ♥ You", "Ta-dah!", or "Season's Greetings" Warm delivered to a friend, loved one, or even yourself! (No rush though - your pledge is redeemable up to June 30, 2012.)
FAQ
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If/when this Kickstarter project tips by surpassing its goal, those who've pledged will receive an email with a link to their private account at www.GiveWarms.com. From there you'll be able to record or upload your video message and enter the mailing address of your recipient.
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The Warms box is made of paulownia, a very light, fine-grained, and warp-resistant wood ideal for decorative boxes. Among its environmental characteristics, Paulownia is extremely fast growing and regenerates quickly from its existing root structure.
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We'll begin production and assembly of our first batch of Warms immediately after the Kickstarter project tips. You'll have time to record or upload your message and then soon after that - by around October - it will be ready to be mailed.
There's no rush though. If you'd like to wait for a particular occasion - a friend's birthday, your anniversary, Christmas, Valentines Day, etc. - that's alright with us. Your pledge is good for several months.
We decided to keep the pledge levels low by using regular post but if you have a specific delivery date in mind and want to pay a little bit more to use a courier, let us know and we'll see what we can do.
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Ultimately we plan to offer retail gift cards and charitable e-donations. However, these items are not permitted under Kickstarter's terms of service so we plan instead to offer optional select digital downloads for givers to include.
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Approximately 4" x 4" x 4" / 10cm x 10cm x 10cm.
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We're focusing initially on the US and Canada, and the pledge amount reflect postal costs to those two coountries, however if you're really interested send us a message telling us where your recipient is located and we'll let you know how much extra to add to your pledge amount to make it happen.
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Indefinitely.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
25
Backers
$981
pledged of $4,500 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful
This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on August 19, 2011.
Pledge $5 or more Pledge $5 or more
The sweet satisfaction of contributing to an awesome project that's on a mission to spread smiles.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Surprise a friend. Your selected recipient will be sent an inaugural edition "Ta-dah!" Warms - a character with outstretched arms inside a wooden box with a code revealing a private personalized video message from you. Sent via trackable mail post to a US or Canada address.
Pledge $30 or more Pledge $30 or more
Surprise a loved one. Your selected recipient will be sent an inaugural edition "I ♥ you" Warms - a character holding a heart inside a wooden box with a code revealing a private personalized video message from you. Sent via trackable mail post to a US or Canada address.
Pledge $30 or more Pledge $30 or more
NEW! Surprise for the holidays. Your selected recipient will be sent an inaugural edition "Season's Greetings" Warms - a character wearing a Santa hat and holding a wrapped present inside a wooden box with a code revealing a private personalized video message from you. Sent via trackable mail post to a US or Canada address.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
Surprise your friends - x5. Send five of the above "Ta-dah!" Warms to your friends as a random, feel-good, out-of-the-blue greeting. Sent via trackable mail post to a US or Canada address.
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
Surprise for the holidays - x10. Send ten of the above Season's Greetings" Warms to your friends and family for the holidays. Perfect upgrade to your Christmas letter! Sent via trackable mail post to a US or Canada address.
Project By
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Warms is a project cofounded by Steve Hardy, Patrick Perreault and Benny Dongarra in 2011, with Plank Multimedia and 14eyeFilms. Together we blend our collective experience in product, web, game, and video design with a passion for genuine human interactions and moments.
