The idea for headphone accessories came to me in 2013. The original concept sketch was for small demon horns. I settled on cat ears because cute and playful seemed a better fit. I was convinced that it would be a hit with otakus of the anime and cosplay varieties. It was at this point things became extremely complicated, slow and frustrating.
The Prototype:
A close friend carved the original waxes from which the molds were made. I took these to ADX in Portland to commission molds and a small run of samples. As is often the case when an idea goes from concept to production, the trial and error of molding the pieces up to a high standard of quality, along with the resulting redesigns and rework added significant time to the turnaround. The process evolved from molding a single piece to molding the outer ear shape and gluing it onto a 3D-printed base that housed the velcro strap threading. It was anything but smooth, but the finished pieces were quite nice and worked as required. Even with the lengthy delays, I was happy with the work.
Promotion Comedy:
So, how to raise awareness and drum up interest? First, I tried direct messaging otaku and anime special interest pages on Facebook and tweeting at a few prominent cosplayers. I thought I might get a bit of traction from this, but in the end it was a total bust. There was minimal response, and nothing I could build on. So it goes. Next I modeled the accents at a few local comic cons. I had a few contacts and some positive feedback, but it was all very tepid. My attempt to win over a certain cosplay model who is a staple of the convention circuit was especially laughable. She accepted a few samples to humor me, and that was that. No mentions or endorsements, even though I was convinced she would genuinely love them. Same with my local comic book store. They took samples, likely just because I was a good customer. The nadir was in Tokyo, hanging out on Otome road in Ikebukuro, trying to get noticed by young women out shopping for character goods and the like. There were a few confused smiles. Later I set up shop in the pop-up swap meet for women near the station, where many character buttons were traded. No one would talk to the weird foreign guy. Not really a surprise, but I figured it was worth a shot. I eventually bombed Animate back on Otome road, leaving samples on the shelves of two of the floors that featured cosplay goods. I couldn't think of anything else to try. I was still convinced it was a solid idea, but no one else seemed to agree. There was even a day that Ariana Grande was in town, out shopping before a concert. I thought, what if I run into her? She might dig it.
Bad/Good Timing:
While all of the promotional challenges were unfolding, a few discoveries both encouraged and discouraged me. The first was learning about Axentwear headphones (a much more sophisticated product with similar aesthetic appeal). The second was a new female character unveiled for Tekken 7, a pop star who wore cat ear headphones. Surely I was onto something, but was I too late, and was the low-tech approach the wrong way to go? I wondered if someone younger and more plugged-in to the scene would have fared better.
Etsy:
I finally opened an Etsy shop and listed a bunch of the remaining samples. This worked better than anything I had tried up to that point, even without directly targeting the individuals I had conceived the product for. While it was never a major success, this felt like vindication of a sort. After 3+ years, I needed it.