{"id":4115,"date":"2026-10-05T15:36:52","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T13:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/?post_type=pt_etude&p=4115"},"modified":"2026-10-05T17:03:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T15:03:53","slug":"eqso-the-crew","status":"publish","type":"pt_etude","link":"https:\/\/www.popterror.com\/en\/studio\/case-studies\/eqso-the-crew","title":{"rendered":"Case study: EQSO The Crew, our blind box from A to Z"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Before offering our services to brands, we tested them on ourselves. EQSO The Crew<\/strong> is Popterror\u2019s first blind box: six characters from the EQSO universe and one secret figure, slipped into mystery boxes and sold individually or as a full display. Here is how the project came together, from the first sketch to the shop shelves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After two series of 12.5 cm art toys sold in limited editions, we wanted a more accessible, more playful format that makes people want to collect. The blind box ticked every box: a lower entry price, the thrill of the surprise, and a series to complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a blind box comes with its own constraints: you need several characters<\/strong> that work together, smaller figures<\/strong> that still have personality, a believable rarity mechanic<\/strong>, and precise packing<\/strong> to guarantee a display with no duplicates. The project also had to stay profitable despite one mould per character.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Designing the characters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We started from the EQSO silhouette, already known to our community, to create a crew<\/strong>: six characters, each with its own style, somewhere between skate, street culture and hip-hop. On the box, they are called Skully, Vandal, Purple, Cherry, Supagreen and Cyclo<\/strong>. Among them: a skater, a breakdancer and a graffiti artist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each character had to be recognisable at first glance, even at a small size: one dominant colour per figure, a strong accessory (beanie, gas mask, bucket hat, cap) and a simple attitude. We also created a secret figure<\/strong>, which the box only shows as a silhouette with a question mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The six EQSO The Crew characters in hand: one dominant colour and one strong accessory each, so they can be recognised at first glance.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Prototypes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As with our first series, the characters were modelled in 3D and then 3D-printed in resin<\/strong>, so we could hold them, check proportions and readability at 8-9 cm, and fix details that were too fine. This is the stage where you discover what a screen doesn\u2019t show: a cap that throws the figure off balance, a detail that won\u2019t mould, a colour too close to another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Production<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The figures were produced in vinyl<\/strong> in our partner factory in China, in the Shenzhen region. After the moulds were made, we approved a pre-production sample<\/strong> for each character: shapes, reference colours, paint, stability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Packaging and display<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Packaging is half the fun of a blind box. Each mystery box<\/strong> carries the EQSO identity, shows the line-up of six characters and the silhouette of the secret figure, with the odds printed: 1 in 6<\/strong> for each regular character, 1 in 100<\/strong> for the secret one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The boxes are grouped by six in a display<\/strong>, packed so that it contains no duplicates<\/strong>: a collector who buys the full display gets all six regular characters. The display also doubles as an in-store stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"EQSO<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Boxing EQSO The Crew in our partner factory in China.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Launch<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Crew was released on 11 September 2026<\/strong>. It is sold on our e-shop, individually or as a full set, in stores such as Art by Uzume<\/strong> and the Straat Museum<\/strong> in Amsterdam, and carried by the distributors Figoodies<\/strong> and Cosmic Group<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What this project taught us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n