We all have advertisements that have made a lasting impression on us: that music that sticks in our head, that slogan that caught our attention, those characters we associate with a brand. In short, advertising can be very powerful, and companies develop strategies to ensure they are heard. One tool they can use today? Additive manufacturing. What could be better than designing an advertising campaign in 3D? To show your message through a physical object? To leverage the advantages of 3D printing to promote a brand? Let’s take a look back at some of the advertising projects that have used 3D technologies to express themselves, from large-format billboards to TV commercials, there are some creative success stories!
H-E-B’s 3D Printed Scene
American supermarket chain H-E-B used 3D printing as an advertising tool in an original way. On May 22 this year, far from the supermarket shelves, the brand sponsored the free outdoor concert series organized by the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas. As the main sponsor, H-E-B marked the event with a three-meter-long 3D-printed stage by the renowned Texas company ICON. The upper part of the stage is reminiscent of a bass drum or tambourine, with the name H-E-B emblazoned on it. In addition to the stage, the brand also supported recycling initiatives throughout the concert series.
View of the 3D-printed stage at a concert (Photo Credits: MYSA)
The Replica of L’Occitane en Provence’s Iconic Shower Gel
Another example of how advertising is adopting new tools in its campaigns comes from French brand L’Occitane en Provence. In 2024, it installed a 4.2-meter-high replica of its iconic almond shower oil in Chelsea to celebrate the product’s 20th anniversary. Design studio Pink Sparrow, known for collaborating with numerous brands, was responsible for the design and manufacturing. For this, they used MASSIVIT’s Gel Deposition Printing (GDP) technology, in particular the Massivit 5000 printer, a machine designed to produce large-format parts without the need for supports.
The 3D-printed L’Occitane shower oil replica (Photo credits: MASSIVIT)
Marketing Campaigns for Film: Angry Birds
For the advertising campaign for its Angry Birds movie, Sony Pictures came up with something special. In addition to numerous marketing partnerships with companies such as McDonald’s, Hasbro and Home Depot, the studio wanted to create something unique. The answer? 3D-printed city bus wraps! For this, the American company Carisma was called in. Its team designed structures approximately five meters long, manufactured using a Massivit 1800 3D printer. More specifically, the team printed molds used to produce plates in SAV (a type of plastic), which were then attached directly to the buses. Thanks to specific coating techniques, these plates were given a particularly striking visual appearance.
3D printing made it possible to produce all the advertising in just ten days, an effort that paid off, as the campaign was a resounding success. As Moshe Gil, CEO of Carisma, explains: “Sony was immediately taken with the quality and scale and increased its order in the run-up to the movie. Then, they were so blown away by the attention generated around the campaign, they sought something similar for Ghostbusters.”
Photo Credits: Signmedia
McDonald’s Campaign
As Yves Geleyn, director of McDonald’s 2016 Happy Meals advertising campaign, points out, the campaign was based on one idea: to do something better. The goal was to tell a story, that of a fast-food giant always at work to offer an improved Happy Meal. In just twelve weeks, the Geleyn team produced a 60-second video, created from six sets and hundreds of 3D-printed characters. The individual figures were first modeled and then printed. To facilitate animation, the team designed separate heads and bodies for these “actors.” The figures were then hand-painted.
Animation is a painstaking and time-consuming process, even more so in stop-motion. But the many hours invested in each detail give the final result an authenticity that computer-assisted animation can not offer. Yves Geleyn insists: “A lot of miniature work is now done with CGI. Stop motion possesses an authenticity, a human touch, that adds so much to a story. It allows you to create something whimsical that is grounded in something authentic.” Producing the spot in such a short space of time was only possible thanks to the use of 3D printing, which enabled the team to animate some interesting scenes.
Coca-Cola
In 2013, Coca-Cola launched a creative campaign to promote its new miniature bottles. Developed by the ad agency Gefen Team, the campaign revolved around an app that allowed users to create customizable “mini-me” avatars. Through the app, users could personalize their mini-mes and make them dance, eat and, of course, drink Coca-Cola. Participants who engaged with the app had a chance to win a unique experience: a visit to Coca-Cola’s 3D printing lab, which was constructed for the contest, at its main factory in Israel. There, winners were scanned and presented with 3D printed miniature versions of themselves, bringing their digital “mini-mes” into the real world
3D Printing for Promoting the Ghostbusters Film
Ten buses criss-crossed the roads to promote the Ghostbusters film, using the Massivit 1800 3D printer. New York-based printer Carisma designed a replica of the famous “No-Ghost” logo, an icon of the saga since 1984. Thanks to Massivit 3D technology, these original creations were made possible. These printers are among the largest on the market, capable of producing objects up to 1.80 meters high, in just a few hours, while offering great freedom of design.
Photo Credits: Massivit
belVita’s 3D Campaign
In 2014, the breakfast cookie brand belVita launched an interesting advertising campaign in the USA entitled “#MorningWin – Consistent Energy, All Morning.” belVita’s idea was to highlight the energy-boosting properties of its cookies by rewarding consumers for their “winning mornings.” To do this, they organized a contest and asked followers of their Twitter account to share their best morning success. The funniest entries were then selected and turned into real 3D-printed trophies. The company even rented a boutique in New York to display these trophies. This was the first marketing campaign to combine social networking with 3D printing technology.
Photo Credits: belVita
Carolina Herrera and Adaequo
Adaequo, a Spanish company specializing in advertising displays, incorporated large-format 3D printing into its business a few years ago. From its headquarters in Barcelona, the company has equipped itself with a Massivit 3D 1800 printer, capable of producing large parts with great precision and speed. A striking example of this technology is the giant reproduction of Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl perfume bottle, recognizable by its iconic pump shape, which has had a strong visual impact in promotional campaigns. Thanks to 3D printing, Adaequo can offer more creative, tailor-made advertising solutions, expanding the possibilities available to luxury brands like Carolina Herrera. The company has also invested in its own finishing processes to guarantee high-quality results and maximize the visual impact of advertising campaigns.
Photo Credits: Adaequo
Hasbro 3D Prints “My Little Pony” Fan Creations
Hasbro is exploring a new way of collaborating with fans through 3D printing. The company launched the SuperFanArt website, a platform where My Little Pony fans can purchase figurines created by independent artists. Before going on sale, the creations must be validated by Hasbro to avoid any inappropriate content. This system provides a legal framework for fan creation and enables us to offer original figurines that are often too specific to be mass-produced. The project began with five artists, but Hasbro invites other designers to participate. Once accepted, they can publish their own models, set prices and share revenues with the brand. This partnership could become a model for other companies wishing to harness the creativity of fans while protecting their licenses.
Photo Credits: Hasbro
SodaStream Presents Bottles with 3D Printed Hats
To mark the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, SodaStream launched a royal limited edition of its bottles. The royal couple is known for their commitment to reducing pollution and the fight against single-use plastic bottles. The SodaStream bottles were adorned with five different designs of mini hats, all inspired by real-life models worn by members of the British royal family. The mini hats were made using 3D printing and are 100% recyclable. The idea came from the Israeli agency Gefen Team and the SodaStream marketing team. The campaign was launched before the royal wedding (May 19, 2018), and the royal bottles sold out in less than 72 hours. At the couple’s request, all proceeds from the “Royal Wedding Bottles edition” were donated to the Surfers Against Sewage charity. Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage, commented: “SodaStream’s commitment to eliminate plastic and promote reusable bottles is a great step in the right direction towards plastic-free coastlines, and sends a strong message to the beverage industry. This fun and quirky project to celebrate the royal wedding further highlights the importance of stopping the single-use plastic epidemic.”
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