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Morphsuits

April 27, 2024

Morphsuits is a company in Edinburgh, Scotland that distributes branded spandex costumes that cover the entire body, a brand of zentai suit. Offering over 80 different designs, it was founded by brothers Ali and Fraser Smeaton and their flatmate Gregor Lawson.[2]

AFG Media o/a Morphsuits
Company typePrivate
IndustryFancy dress/costume
Founded2009 (2009)[1]
FounderAli Smeaton, Fraser Smeaton, Gregor Lawson
Headquarters
Edinburgh, Scotland
,
United Kingdom
Key people
Smeaton, Smeaton, Lawson
ProductsMorphsuits, Morphsuits Kids
Revenue£4.5m[2]
OwnerSmeaton, Smeaton, Lawson
Number of employees
22 direct
Websitewww.morphsuits.com

It later added children's sizes,[2][3] called MorphKids, and female-targeted accessories.[2]

It is a division of AFG Media, which includes menswear line Foul Fashion and golf wear line Royal & Awesome.[4][5]

History edit

 
Three people in Morphsuits jump for a photoshoot.

According to the founders' account, they were inspired to create the company after a one-color costume party in Dublin, to which a friend of the founders was wearing a zentai bodysuit. At the event, the friend became somewhat of a celebrity, being bought drinks and posing for hundreds of pictures.[3] After researching the fancy dress market, Smeaton, Smeaton, and Lawson invested £1,000 each.[5] The original corporate website cost $300.[3]

Beginning in May 2009,[5] shipping of the first batch of 200 costumes was done from their flat.[3][5] Balancing their day jobs and the company meant "a lot of 2 a.m. finishes" while running their business. As of August 2011, outsourcing had raised their indirect staffing to 200.[3] As of late 2012, suits were manufactured in Shanghai.[5]

The company received a boost to its sales when the 2009 British Lions tour of South Africa, at which eight fans wore red Morphsuits, was covered extensively by sports journalists and photographers.[6]

Many early mainstream appearances of similar suits in North America were not their brand: The Green Men, two fans of the Vancouver Canucks NHL team, used Super Fan Suits,[7] as do hip-hop group The Body Poets,[8][9] while appearances on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia[10] predate either brand's founding.[improper synthesis?]

 
UK-based Remix Monkeys, in 2011. The group used Morphsuits in their street dance routines.

As of August 2011, there were 40 varieties,[3] and 50 as of September 2011.[6] MorphKids, a child's-sized line, was launched in the United States before any other market. The company sold 35,000 units in 48 hours.[11] Around Halloween 2012, a psychologist noted increased confidence and social skills in children wearing the outfits, and an "overall calming effect" in children with autism.[12] As of April 2013, the company stated it expected MorphKids to outstrip the parent brand four-fold.[4] In October 2012, Morphsuits launched their first licensed design, featuring Saban's Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers;[13] the company claims the costumes were the "best-selling item" in their history.[14] With their investment from BFG, they hoped to pursue the Spider-Man license, deeming licenses "fundamental to the business's future success."[5] In 2013 Morphsuits added "Animal Planet" Morphsuits, including a Vampire Bat with fabric wings connected to the arms, and a Cobra with a neck frill. Other products include the head-only lycra Morphmask and Megamorph, an inflated suit with lycra over the head, hands, and feet.[5]

Corporate edit

As of May 2011, it claimed to be the world's largest fancy dress brand.[15]

As of 2011, Gregor Lawson had worked in brand management for eight years. Trained with "FMCG marketing" (fast-moving consumer goods) at Gillette and later Procter & Gamble, he led marketing on Pantene, Pringles, and Gillette. He left P&G in July 2010.[15] Lawson is brother of rugby union player Rory Lawson, son of rugby union player Alan Lawson, and grandson of rugby union commentator Bill McLaren.[6]

In their first year, the company sold 20,000 costumes, bringing in £1.2 million.[2] Between January and October 2010, the company shipped 10,000 units to Canada.[16] In the 2010-2011 financial year, they did £4.5m in sales.[2] They expect £10.5m in revenue in the 2011-2012 fiscal year.[2] In October 2010, Morphsuits gave 2011 estimates of £6 million; by July 2011, they told the BBC of a year-end estimate of £10 million.[2] The company sold an initial order of 100,000 Morphsuits to retail chain Party City.[2][6] The company expect sales of £309,980 in October 2012.[17]

Fiscal year Units sold Revenue
2009–10 50,000[2] £1.2m[2]
2010–11 250,000[2] £4.5m[2] or £4.2m[18]

As of 2011, the partners had no direct employees, with all roles being outsourced. As of summer 2011, that included a Chinese manufacturer, warehouses in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia, and a customer contact centre in Fife.[2] In 2012, Mishal Verjee was added as Marketing Director.[13] One September 2012 article cited AFG in employing 21 staff at five sites worldwide, but did not clarify if they were direct or outsourced.[5]

The founding entrepreneurs have spoken publicly about their dislike for UK tax rules, which make "company owners pay 40 percent on any sum taken out in dividends above £35,000, against only 10 percent if they were to sell their business." They have suggested incentives to expand operations would be more beneficial than "inducements" to sell their company.[6] The company received overtures from private equity investors in 2011, since their Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards nomination in Scotland, that year; they have suggested the business has kept them too busy to consider any of the offers.[6]

In February 2012, the company (as AFG Media) received a £600,000 loan from Barclays Corporate.[19]

In July 2012, Business Growth Fund invested £4.2 million in AFG,[4] the size of its stake was unannounced, but their firm generally takes between 10% and 40% of the share capital.[20] The investment was meant to help product development, the MorphKids line, and develop supply chain as the company looks to expand in the US, Europe, Mexico, Russia, Japan and China.[4][20] Ralph Kugler was introduced as chairman of the company's board,[4][20] and Duncan Macrae also added to the board.[20]

They have a low rate of product return, at just 1%, which they credit to the limited SKU (stock-keeping unit), allowing them to ensure consistent quality of the product.[3]

At least some products are sourced through Alibaba.[21][22]

Marketing edit

 
The Morphsuits branding is on each costume, advertising the company.

Gregor Lawson has spoken at seminars about technology and business, about their use of Facebook and e-commerce.[18] Much of their marketing strategy is based on fans' ideas, a process Fraser Smeaton calls "scrum marketing"; suit designs, potential sales outlets, and competitions have all been dictated by its followers.[1]

There are regional sales differences: in the United Kingdom, the product is considered year-round, with a small jump in sales near Halloween. In the United States, sales are much more highly focused at the Halloween season.[3] The company runs 13 localized e-commerce websites.[18]

Black is the company's most popular colour.[3] The majority of Morphsuits' customers are men, but the company hopes that a new morphsuit model with a built-on tutu will expand female sales.[3]

The brand has tried to distance itself from the term zentai, and the concept of fetish usage.[16] Being one of the earliest brands to court a general market, the terms "Morphsuits" and "morphs" are regularly applied to events related to any sort of zentai suit. Their term risks becoming a genericized trademark in the process; one New Zealand newspaper refers to a competing brand, Jaskins, as a "one of the main online morphsuit brands."[10]

For a while, the website's FAQ page listed the suits as legal globally. This response either ignored or overlooked Anti-mask laws, such as those in France.

References edit

  1. ^ a b . NMK. London: University of Westminster. 13 December 2011. Archived from the original on January 9, 2012. Retrieved 19 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Edinburgh firm Morphsuits stretches global reach". BBC.co.uk. London UK. 23 July 2011. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Heugel, Abby (23 August 2011). "Morphsuit Mania". Party and Paper. Sparta MI. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e Brown, Tim (28 April 2013). "Business Growth Fund invests £4.2m in fancy dress Morphsuits". The Manufacturer. London. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Williams, Hattie (16 September 2012). . The Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Kristy Dorsey; Terry Murden (18 September 2011). "Morphsuits trio urge tax changes to help growth". Scotland on Sunday. Edinburgh UK.
  7. ^ Jory, Derek (January 11, 2010). "Force & Sully". Vancouver Canucks and the National Hockey League. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  8. ^ Dluzen, Robin (25 July 2011). "SuperFanSuits.com: The Lucrative Business of Full Body Spandex". TINC Magazine. Chicago IL. Retrieved 25 July 2011.
  9. ^ Kristen Perez, editor (10 October 2010). The Body Poets- Demo Reel 2010 (streaming video). Event occurs at 2:15. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  10. ^ a b "Second skin, secret life". Taranaki Daily News. New Plymouth NZ. 21 September 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  11. ^ Roberts, Katie (11 May 2012). . ToyNews Online. Hertford UK. Archived from the original on 2012-05-14. Retrieved 11 May 2012.
  12. ^ Hudson, Catherine (22 October 2012). "Trendspotting: Morphsuits". Made for Mums. London. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  13. ^ a b Sacco, Dominic (15 October 2012). . ToyNews. Hertford, Hertfordshire, UK. Archived from the original on 17 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  14. ^ "Power Ranger Morphsuits mark shows 20th anniversary". ATV Today. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  15. ^ a b "Meet the Scholars 2011" (PDF). The Marketing Academy. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.[dead link]
  16. ^ a b Bascaramurty, Dakshana (28 October 2010). "Zentai suits – not just fetish wear any more". The Globe and Mail. Toronto ON. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  17. ^ Thomas, Charlie (25 October 2012). "Halloween Helps Bring Retail And Events Back From The Undead". Huffpost Business United Kingdom. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
  18. ^ a b c Terra Incognita Programme[permanent dead link], Harper McLeod LLP, 5 October 2011
  19. ^ "Loan to help 'morphsuit' maker meet demand". BBC News. 20 February 2012.
  20. ^ a b c d "BGF sees promise in Morphsuits firm AFG Media". Growth Business. London. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  21. ^ Alibaba.com Buyers - Morphsuits, retrieved 2021-04-20
  22. ^ Macdonald, Neil (2014-09-18). "Bigger than Amazon and eBay, Alibaba set to float". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 2021-04-20.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Morphsuits at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website

April 27, 2024
morphsuits, company, edinburgh, scotland, that, distributes, branded, spandex, costumes, that, cover, entire, body, brand, zentai, suit, offering, over, different, designs, founded, brothers, fraser, smeaton, their, flatmate, gregor, lawson, media, company, ty. Morphsuits is a company in Edinburgh Scotland that distributes branded spandex costumes that cover the entire body a brand of zentai suit Offering over 80 different designs it was founded by brothers Ali and Fraser Smeaton and their flatmate Gregor Lawson 2 AFG Media o a MorphsuitsCompany typePrivateIndustryFancy dress costumeFounded2009 2009 1 FounderAli Smeaton Fraser Smeaton Gregor LawsonHeadquartersEdinburgh Scotland United KingdomKey peopleSmeaton Smeaton LawsonProductsMorphsuits Morphsuits KidsRevenue 4 5m 2 OwnerSmeaton Smeaton LawsonNumber of employees22 directWebsitewww wbr morphsuits wbr com It later added children s sizes 2 3 called MorphKids and female targeted accessories 2 It is a division of AFG Media which includes menswear line Foul Fashion and golf wear line Royal amp Awesome 4 5 Contents 1 History 2 Corporate 3 Marketing 4 References 5 External linksHistory edit nbsp Three people in Morphsuits jump for a photoshoot According to the founders account they were inspired to create the company after a one color costume party in Dublin to which a friend of the founders was wearing a zentai bodysuit At the event the friend became somewhat of a celebrity being bought drinks and posing for hundreds of pictures 3 After researching the fancy dress market Smeaton Smeaton and Lawson invested 1 000 each 5 The original corporate website cost 300 3 Beginning in May 2009 5 shipping of the first batch of 200 costumes was done from their flat 3 5 Balancing their day jobs and the company meant a lot of 2 a m finishes while running their business As of August 2011 outsourcing had raised their indirect staffing to 200 3 As of late 2012 suits were manufactured in Shanghai 5 The company received a boost to its sales when the 2009 British Lions tour of South Africa at which eight fans wore red Morphsuits was covered extensively by sports journalists and photographers 6 Many early mainstream appearances of similar suits in North America were not their brand The Green Men two fans of the Vancouver Canucks NHL team used Super Fan Suits 7 as do hip hop group The Body Poets 8 9 while appearances on It s Always Sunny in Philadelphia 10 predate either brand s founding improper synthesis nbsp UK based Remix Monkeys in 2011 The group used Morphsuits in their street dance routines As of August 2011 there were 40 varieties 3 and 50 as of September 2011 6 MorphKids a child s sized line was launched in the United States before any other market The company sold 35 000 units in 48 hours 11 Around Halloween 2012 a psychologist noted increased confidence and social skills in children wearing the outfits and an overall calming effect in children with autism 12 As of April 2013 the company stated it expected MorphKids to outstrip the parent brand four fold 4 In October 2012 Morphsuits launched their first licensed design featuring Saban s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 13 the company claims the costumes were the best selling item in their history 14 With their investment from BFG they hoped to pursue the Spider Man license deeming licenses fundamental to the business s future success 5 In 2013 Morphsuits added Animal Planet Morphsuits including a Vampire Bat with fabric wings connected to the arms and a Cobra with a neck frill Other products include the head only lycra Morphmask and Megamorph an inflated suit with lycra over the head hands and feet 5 Corporate editAs of May 2011 it claimed to be the world s largest fancy dress brand 15 As of 2011 Gregor Lawson had worked in brand management for eight years Trained with FMCG marketing fast moving consumer goods at Gillette and later Procter amp Gamble he led marketing on Pantene Pringles and Gillette He left P amp G in July 2010 15 Lawson is brother of rugby union player Rory Lawson son of rugby union player Alan Lawson and grandson of rugby union commentator Bill McLaren 6 In their first year the company sold 20 000 costumes bringing in 1 2 million 2 Between January and October 2010 the company shipped 10 000 units to Canada 16 In the 2010 2011 financial year they did 4 5m in sales 2 They expect 10 5m in revenue in the 2011 2012 fiscal year 2 In October 2010 Morphsuits gave 2011 estimates of 6 million by July 2011 they told the BBC of a year end estimate of 10 million 2 The company sold an initial order of 100 000 Morphsuits to retail chain Party City 2 6 The company expect sales of 309 980 in October 2012 17 Fiscal year Units sold Revenue 2009 10 50 000 2 1 2m 2 2010 11 250 000 2 4 5m 2 or 4 2m 18 As of 2011 the partners had no direct employees with all roles being outsourced As of summer 2011 that included a Chinese manufacturer warehouses in the United States United Kingdom and Australia and a customer contact centre in Fife 2 In 2012 Mishal Verjee was added as Marketing Director 13 One September 2012 article cited AFG in employing 21 staff at five sites worldwide but did not clarify if they were direct or outsourced 5 The founding entrepreneurs have spoken publicly about their dislike for UK tax rules which make company owners pay 40 percent on any sum taken out in dividends above 35 000 against only 10 percent if they were to sell their business They have suggested incentives to expand operations would be more beneficial than inducements to sell their company 6 The company received overtures from private equity investors in 2011 since their Ernst amp Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards nomination in Scotland that year they have suggested the business has kept them too busy to consider any of the offers 6 In February 2012 the company as AFG Media received a 600 000 loan from Barclays Corporate 19 In July 2012 Business Growth Fund invested 4 2 million in AFG 4 the size of its stake was unannounced but their firm generally takes between 10 and 40 of the share capital 20 The investment was meant to help product development the MorphKids line and develop supply chain as the company looks to expand in the US Europe Mexico Russia Japan and China 4 20 Ralph Kugler was introduced as chairman of the company s board 4 20 and Duncan Macrae also added to the board 20 They have a low rate of product return at just 1 which they credit to the limited SKU stock keeping unit allowing them to ensure consistent quality of the product 3 At least some products are sourced through Alibaba 21 22 Marketing edit nbsp The Morphsuits branding is on each costume advertising the company Gregor Lawson has spoken at seminars about technology and business about their use of Facebook and e commerce 18 Much of their marketing strategy is based on fans ideas a process Fraser Smeaton calls scrum marketing suit designs potential sales outlets and competitions have all been dictated by its followers 1 There are regional sales differences in the United Kingdom the product is considered year round with a small jump in sales near Halloween In the United States sales are much more highly focused at the Halloween season 3 The company runs 13 localized e commerce websites 18 Black is the company s most popular colour 3 The majority of Morphsuits customers are men but the company hopes that a new morphsuit model with a built on tutu will expand female sales 3 The brand has tried to distance itself from the term zentai and the concept of fetish usage 16 Being one of the earliest brands to court a general market the terms Morphsuits and morphs are regularly applied to events related to any sort of zentai suit Their term risks becoming a genericized trademark in the process one New Zealand newspaper refers to a competing brand Jaskins as a one of the main online morphsuit brands 10 For a while the website s FAQ page listed the suits as legal globally This response either ignored or overlooked Anti mask laws such as those in France References edit a b The Joy of Dex Interview with Morphsuits NMK London University of Westminster 13 December 2011 Archived from the original on January 9 2012 Retrieved 19 December 2011 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Edinburgh firm Morphsuits stretches global reach BBC co uk London UK 23 July 2011 Retrieved 28 September 2011 a b c d e f g h i j Heugel Abby 23 August 2011 Morphsuit Mania Party and Paper Sparta MI Retrieved 29 September 2011 a b c d e Brown Tim 28 April 2013 Business Growth Fund invests 4 2m in fancy dress Morphsuits The Manufacturer London Retrieved 7 May 2013 a b c d e f g h Williams Hattie 16 September 2012 How I Made It Greg Lawson and Fraser Smeaton of AFG Media The Sunday Times London Archived from the original on 27 September 2013 Retrieved 8 May 2013 a b c d e f Kristy Dorsey Terry Murden 18 September 2011 Morphsuits trio urge tax changes to help growth Scotland on Sunday Edinburgh UK Jory Derek January 11 2010 Force amp Sully Vancouver Canucks and the National Hockey League Retrieved May 25 2010 Dluzen Robin 25 July 2011 SuperFanSuits com The Lucrative Business of Full Body Spandex TINC Magazine Chicago IL Retrieved 25 July 2011 Kristen Perez editor 10 October 2010 The Body Poets Demo Reel 2010 streaming video Event occurs at 2 15 Retrieved 15 July 2011 a b Second skin secret life Taranaki Daily News New Plymouth NZ 21 September 2010 Retrieved 15 July 2011 Roberts Katie 11 May 2012 Morphsuits launches kids range ToyNews Online Hertford UK Archived from the original on 2012 05 14 Retrieved 11 May 2012 Hudson Catherine 22 October 2012 Trendspotting Morphsuits Made for Mums London Retrieved 3 November 2012 a b Sacco Dominic 15 October 2012 Morphsuits launches Power Rangers costumes ToyNews Hertford Hertfordshire UK Archived from the original on 17 October 2012 Retrieved 3 November 2012 Power Ranger Morphsuits mark shows 20th anniversary ATV Today 12 October 2012 Retrieved 3 November 2012 a b Meet the Scholars 2011 PDF The Marketing Academy 11 May 2011 Retrieved 29 September 2011 dead link a b Bascaramurty Dakshana 28 October 2010 Zentai suits not just fetish wear any more The Globe and Mail Toronto ON Retrieved 28 September 2011 Thomas Charlie 25 October 2012 Halloween Helps Bring Retail And Events Back From The Undead Huffpost Business United Kingdom Retrieved 3 November 2012 a b c Terra Incognita Programme permanent dead link Harper McLeod LLP 5 October 2011 Loan to help morphsuit maker meet demand BBC News 20 February 2012 a b c d BGF sees promise in Morphsuits firm AFG Media Growth Business London 2 July 2012 Retrieved 8 May 2013 Alibaba com Buyers Morphsuits retrieved 2021 04 20 Macdonald Neil 2014 09 18 Bigger than Amazon and eBay Alibaba set to float Channel 4 News Retrieved 2021 04 20 External links edit nbsp Media related to Morphsuits at Wikimedia Commons Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Morphsuits amp oldid 1216476261, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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