Last-Minute Mother’s Day Gift Idea: A 3-D Replica of Yourself
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Version 0 of 1. Nothing says “I love you” like a life-size 3-D model of yourself. But if Mother’s Day passes on Sunday without a $30,000 version of your likeness arriving at her door, fear not: Perhaps it’s a good idea for Father’s Day. Just kidding. But not really. A company in Alabama was offering to make an actual, life-size replica of a person, thanks to an enormous 3-D printer, for the cool price of $30,000. That is not, however, their normal business strategy. “We do more of industrial things,” said Renato Gross, the president of SWIGRO, the company offering the deal. Mr. Gross said he was approached by Groupon about the idea, which has generated a desirable amount of attention. “It has been all over the news,” Mr. Gross said. But that does not mean it’s a prank. Mr. Gross said the company is capable of printing a person-sized model with a “great level of detail.” A full scan of the person’s body would be necessary — the Groupon offer included travel and lodging — and creating the final product would take about a week, Mr. Gross said. “We’re always looking for unique, bespoke experiences that we can offer exclusively for Groupon customers,” Bill Roberts, vice president of global communications for Groupon, said in an email. Last year, the company offered a surrogate son (“also completely legit,” Mr. Roberts said) that promised “16 hours of enthusiastic obedience” and doting on your mother for the holiday. But what mothers want the most, according to a survey of about 4,500 women by Influenster, a product discovery website, are gifts that pamper them. And the idea that homemade creations are cherished may not be true. “D.I.Y. gifts weren’t really rated that highly,” said Elizabeth Scherle, the president and co-founder of Influenster. Flowers weren’t rated highly either, but plenty of people were still planning to send them, based on a survey by the National Retail Federation. Influenster also found that, at least among young mothers, the person they most wanted gifts from was their spouse. Good luck out there. |