THE BUILDERS

ASB Bank (NZ), an existing client of Novelli's,  approached Novelli about producing a branded item that would create awareness of their sponsorship of St John ambulance services in NZ.  They wanted something that would be desirable for kids.

After considering other toys, Novelli decided that a building brick/construction toy would likely produce the best campaign results for our client.  We considered the best option would be for Novelli to develop a collaboration, on behalf of ASB Bank, with a leading building block company.  

Despite many attempts to work with a leading building block brand, we turned away.  They were not interested in projects like this one as it lacked scale and size.  The MOQs and lead times meant it was not going to be possible to get that existing manufacturer on board.

It became evident that there was a fantastic opportunity for a company to develop a building block brand that could be used for smaller, customizable orders.

Significant research was conducted including visiting Toy Fairs and factories to talk to as many contacts as possible.  We found a factory which could produce to the quality levels we demanded and began working on creating the necessary process to develop our own products.

Success! Novelli launched the first NovaBrix set with ASB Bank, the brand we began this journey with. The ASB Little Ambulance is a fantastic success and is renewed for further annual campaigns.  

Our first set in the Australian market was a massive sell-out success.  Loyal Bunnings Warehouse customers could not get enough of this set and it generated a lot of publicity.  

Our expansion into the US market started with two sets for Ace Hardware - a storefront and a heavy hauler truck.  Since then, their range has grown to 27 sets and is growing!

To recreate the iconic Repco-Brabham BT19 racing car for Repco to use as a gift-with-purchase, Novelli produced our first specially molded NovaBrix brick pieces.  We worked with Repco to ensure the car’s distinctive nose and the swept back screen were as realistic as possible.  Having the technology and ‘know-how’ to create custom pieces enabled us to develop more customized and detailed sets in the future.

This cute detailed set was created for the Rapid Response Team and was shipped to France, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK, and the US.

Novelli succeeded in doing something that no one else had been able to do - we created a building brick set that passed McDonald's stringent Global Happy Meal Toy Standards testing.  This allowed us to produce the 'Maccas Makers' set as a fundraiser for McDonalds. 

NovaBrix launches its first glow-in-the-dark brick - the Golden Arches in our McDonald's Maccas Makers set.

With over 2 million sets produced, NovaBrix is building a strong reputation as the 'go-to' building block brand for businesses wanting to create a customised set to grow brand love.

With offices in New Zealand, Australia and the US, Novelli are designing sets for clients around the world.