Rubik’s Cube inventor Erno Rubik holds one of his cubes at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, Germany, on January 29, 2020.
Picture Alliance | Getty Images
The Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor only realized he had created a puzzle after he scrambled the completed cube and tried to rearrange the colored blocks.
“I thought, if I can’t do it, no one else can, or very few people can,” Rubik told CNBC. “It was proof that it could be marketed and that it could be shown to the public.”
A source of pride, envy, and frustration, the Rubik’s Cube turns 50 this year, but under the ownership of Spin Master, it shows no signs of retiring.
“Rubik is more than just a toy,” said Sam Szasz, Spin Master’s senior director of global marketing. “It’s art. It’s sports. It’s science. It’s math.”
Since its inception in 1974, the Rubik’s Cube has spread throughout pop culture, appearing in movies, TV shows, music videos, comics, video games, museums, and more. His iconic 3×3 grids have graced his T-shirts, become keychains, inspired architecture, and ignited entire subgenres of art.
Enthusiasts race to shorten the cube creator’s month-long solving time, and the current world record is just 3.13 seconds.
Rami Subahi, who auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” in 2014, quickly solved a Rubik’s Cube using both his feet and hands.
NBC | NBC Universal | Getty Images
“I’d put Rubik’s in the category of toy and game brands that have transcended that and become lifestyle brands,” says the editor-in-chief of The Toy Book and senior editor of The Toy Insider. said one James Zahn.
Toronto-based Spin Master, known for brands like Hatchimals, Tech Deck and Kinetic Sand, acquired the Rubik’s Cube brand in 2021, five years after acquiring the iconic Etch-a-Sketch .
“So, in the toys and games industry, you don’t often come across an opportunity to acquire an evergreen, iconic brand,” Susz said. “And this brand just has incredible staying power.”
By adding proven evergreen products to our portfolio, Spin Master can take risks with new brands knowing that we have a range of products that will always have space on retail shelves. .
“Rubik’s is just a brand that shows no signs of disappearing,” Zahn said. “It will forever be regarded as a classic.”
Susz said Cube currently has a 42% market share in the brain teaser category. And sales are still growing.
Global retail sales of Rubik’s cubes in 2022 increased nearly 4% year over year to $75.3 million, with approximately 6 million units sold. That figure doesn’t include the tens of millions of dollars in sales of related products inspired by the Rubik’s Cube, Suz said. As of November 2023, year-to-date sales have increased by 14% compared to 2022.
spin master Generating over $2 billion in revenue in 2022, Rubik’s Cube sales accounted for just under 4% of the company’s total revenue that year.
“One of the key factors in its longevity is the fact that new people continue to discover it every year,” Zahn said.
Much of the Rubik’s Cube’s staying power is tied to the complex nature of the 43 quintillion combinations it touts and the human drive to solve problems.
Terence Wilson, 14, of Deepdale, near Preston, with a Rubik’s Cube and a Rubik’s Snake, August 28, 1981.
Mirror Pix | Getty Images
Parents and educators have been drawn to cubes as a way to get kids outside of the digital world and help them develop manual dexterity and critical thinking skills.
Spin Master is also starting up. rubik academyan educational program that provides teachers with lesson plans that incorporate puzzle toys into the classroom.
“This is absolutely perfect for children with learning difficulties,” says Amanda Gummer, child development expert and founder of toy review site The Good Play Guide. . “It helps give them confidence, and once they master it, it kind of becomes a cool playground brag.”
While the traditional Rubik’s Cube remains popular, spin masters have been quick to develop new versions of the cube.
These include the Rubik’s Phantom, a familiar 3 x 3 cube printed with thermochromic ink, the Rubik’s Phantom, which appears completely black until the color is activated by the heat of your hand, and the Rainbow Color, which changes color when viewed from different angles. includes the Rubik’s Impossible, which is a cube with tiles. .
“There’s probably no harder challenge than trying to innovate something that’s been around for 50 years, and everyone has done everything under the sun with it,” Susz said.
Spin Master also wants to make solving cubes more accessible. In addition to online tutorials and the Rubik’s Cube mobile app, the company has developed the Rubik’s Coach Cube. The Rubik’s Coach Cube is covered with numbered stickers that correspond to each step required to solve the cube.
Fifty years later, the goal is to maintain that momentum.
Spin Master works closely with brands such as Mattel’s Barbie, Hello Kitty, Levi’s and Mercedes to launch new products ranging from toys to apparel and even F1 race cars. Suz said there is even hope that the company will develop a feature film about Rubik’s life, similar to films such as “Air,” “Blackberry” and “Barbie.”
Spin Master expects sales growth to continue in 2024 as it introduces new versions of the Cube.
“One of the benefits of Spin Master having full control and ownership of Rubik’s worldwide is that it allows us to make large investments,” Suzu said.
