Corporate promotional items are evolving from tumblers and pens to semiconductor plants and self-propelled howitzers. "Block goods" that miniaturize the industrial worksites and products of corporations—from SK hynix's semiconductor fabs to Hyundai Motor's plant and Hyundai WIA's self-propelled howitzer—are taking root as a new promotional tool.
Unlike simple giveaways, a key strength is that consumers naturally encounter the technology and establishments of corporations as they assemble the sets themselves.
◇ About 300 corporate and agency collaboration blocks… SK hynix tops sales
On the 10th, according to domestic block maker Oxford, there are currently about 300 corporate and agency collaboration products. SK hynix(000660) semiconductor production fabs, Hyundai Motor(005380) manufacturing plants, industrial sites such as HD Hyundai Heavy Industries(329180) docks, as well as Hyundai WIA(011210) lightweight 105mm self-propelled howitzers and HANMI Semiconductor(042700) TC bonders have been made into blocks.
The best-selling items are the blocks made with SK hynix. According to Oxford, three SK hynix collaboration products have sold more than 50,000 units to date, combining initial and repeat orders.
Blocks related to the Korean National Police Agency and the Korea Coast Guard also sold an average of more than 20,000 units per item. The Korean National Police Agency's "Cham-suri helicopter (KUH-1P)," the police special operations unit's wheeled armored vehicle, and a hydrogen electric bus were made into blocks, and with the coast guard, "sea protection operation" and "life-saving operation" sets were unveiled.
Corporate blocks are also used to introduce the company to employees' families. SK hynix, ahead of Children's Day from 2022 to 2024, gifted employee households with children age 4 and older block sets modeled after the Cheongju M11 and Icheon M16 plants. They even replicated gas piping and transport systems inside the semiconductor production facilities.
A worker in their 40s at SK hynix said, "As my child assembled the Cheongju M11 block and asked, 'What is this?,' I felt proud that I could explain where I work," adding, "Children enjoy the blocks and naturally learn where their parents work."
General consumers also buy them directly, forming a fan base. Consumers who purchased the Hyundai WIA self-propelled howitzer block and others are posting in block communities that they look forward to follow-up releases.
◇ Visiting plants to capture pipe thickness… 80–90 days to produce
Corporate blocks differ from promotional items that simply attach a company logo to existing toys. When the structure is complex or calls for precise reproduction, developers visit actual factories and industrial facilities to examine equipment and structures firsthand, then translate them into blocks.
An Oxford official said, "Projects that involve actual site visits are often those with complex structures or that require more precise reproduction than typical products," adding, "It is important to find the right balance between directly scaling down the facility's form and implementing it in blocks."
Hyundai Engineering & Construction's OIL&GAS plant block is a prime example. During development, they analyzed not only the plant's exterior but also the foundational structure and equipment layout, pipe thickness and connection methods, and even curvature. Because complex curves and equipment had to be represented with standardized rectangular blocks, the prototype underwent multiple revisions.
Once design and engineering are complete, prototyping, inspection, and revisions are repeated. From the start of a project to actual production at Oxford's Busan plant typically takes 80–90 days.
◇ Beyond giveaways to "brand content"… sales grow 30% a year
Corporations are turning to blocks for their promotional effect. Unlike giveaways such as tumblers or stationery with logos that are used once and set aside, blocks prompt consumers to examine a corporation's products and technology as they assemble dozens to hundreds of parts themselves.
Oxford said it has run a corporate special-order business for about 20 years, but the related market has been growing rapidly recently. When one corporation releases blocks, inquiries often come in from other corporations in the same industry.
Sales of corporate and agency collaboration blocks have increased by about 30% annually in recent years. Oxford is strengthening its production system to enable small-lot, multi-product manufacturing to match this.
An Oxford official said, "The minimum order quantity is around 3,000 units, but corporate requests are changing," adding, "In the past, companies aimed to mass-produce a single type, but recently demand has grown to make multiple facilities or products into individual blocks and turn them into series."
The official added, "Factories or flagship products themselves are becoming content that showcases a corporation's technology and brand," and "We expect to see more cases of corporations using blocks not as simple souvenirs but as a means to promote their brand."