The fact that the home textiles sector is commonly recognised as a static field with little inclination to change, represents an opportunity for Calmonte to show that innovation is always possible. What is needed is imagination, enthusiasm and concreteness.
Although our company has recently passed the important milestone of 50 years, the attitude that has always characterized us is to imagine ourselves as an eternal start-up. This implies perceiving ourselves as a constantly evolving reality, ‘never arrived’, with a constant curiosity towards everything that is new and to be discovered. This also implies a special focus on new technologies, which Calmonte has always identified as real opportunities to improve its internal processes and the quality of its service. There are instances in which the latter can find its greatest expression in revolutionary new products. In fact, an important part of our activities is the development of entire collections (from the concept to the design of the product, its packaging and promotional material) on behalf of specific customers.
So, we happened to combine our creative spirit with the desire to prove that it is possible to innovate even in the ‘static’ world of home textiles, and we did so by developing a line of interactive pillowcases for children based on augmented reality. There are essentially two questions that might arise: where did the idea of combining augmented reality with the world of textiles come from? And, above all, was there a need for it? As far as the latter is concerned, we could simply answer that wherever there is an opportunity to take a step forward in terms of innovation and creativity, for Calmonte it is an opportunity to raise the bar in the market, thus stimulating healthy competitiveness among the players involved and bringing in a wave of freshness. As far as the idea of combining textiles and augmented reality is concerned, the answer lies in a simple but important rule: good ideas come to life when our minds are light and therefore free to fly to the shores of the imagination.
Sometimes all it takes is a fortunate event, such as observing children having fun experiencing a gift they have just received, for example a small booklet incorporating augmented reality technology. It was from this fact, which really happened, that the following question arose spontaneously: ‘why not give these smiles to families at the most intimate and cosy time with their children, i.e. under the blankets? From that moment, within 6 months, the idea was realized. First of all, by relying on a manufacturer specialized in home textiles for children, and who was therefore particularly attentive to the use of the safest materials for them (the pillowcases, in fact, were made of high-quality, certified pure cotton). Secondly, with the support of our young creative team, we relied on communication specialists for children, creating the drawings and storytelling that make the interactive adventure with these unique pillowcases so special. Finally, we partnered with experienced developers to make the free apps available in record time on Google Play and App Store. From a good idea, a successful commercial operation came to life, which, despite the difficulties of integrating augmented reality into a product like a pillowcase (just think of the folds it is naturally subject to), is able to provide special and imaginative moments for children and parents. For us, this experience was a concrete demonstration of how any idea that aims to bring innovation into its development environment brings with it specific complexities that must be properly managed in order for it to be realized in a timely manner. Because, in fact, a good idea must always be supported by the concrete spirit that allows it to be realized.
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