Zaks
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Zaks is a
construction toy A construction set is a standardized piece assortment allowing for the construction of various different models. Construction sets are most often marketed as toys. Popular construction toy brands include Lincoln Logs and ''LEGO''. Toys ...
originally produced in Canada by the company
Irwin Toy Irwin Toy Limited was a Canadian distributor and manufacturer of toys. It was Canada's oldest toy company and remained independent and family owned until 2001. History The company began in 1926 as an importer and distributor of dry goods and ...
in 1987 and released in the United States by Ohio Art Company in 1988. The toy is a system of multicolored flat plastic triangle and square pieces that interlock via snap lock hinges along their edges, creating moveable structures. The toy includes additional pieces such as columnar joint attachments, push-in eyes, clear bubbles, cones, and antennae.


Overview

Zaks consists primarily of
equilateral An equilateral triangle is a triangle in which all three sides have the same length, and all three angles are equal. Because of these properties, the equilateral triangle is a regular polygon, occasionally known as the regular triangle. It is the ...
triangles A triangle is a polygon with three corners and three sides, one of the basic shapes in geometry. The corners, also called ''vertices'', are zero-dimensional points while the sides connecting them, also called ''edges'', are one-dimensiona ...
and
squares In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...
with toothed, hinged, and interlocking edges. The basic triangle and square shapes are further modified by having a number of different face styles, including holes or extended sockets that allow them to connect face-to-face. The toys can be attached to one another to build three-dimensional creations, with the edges either remaining rigid or being allowed to swivel. It is quite easy to create
Platonic solids In geometry, a Platonic solid is a convex, regular polyhedron in three-dimensional Euclidean space. Being a regular polyhedron means that the faces are congruent (identical in shape and size) regular polygons (all angles congruent and all edge ...
using Zaks, and the toys are useful to demonstrate how simple planes like triangles and squares can be used to create complex
polyhedra In geometry, a polyhedron (: polyhedra or polyhedrons; ) is a three-dimensional figure with flat polygonal faces, straight edges and sharp corners or vertices. The term "polyhedron" may refer either to a solid figure or to its boundary su ...
. Since the pieces primarily connect with hinges, building a rigid structure takes some work, either by clever geometry or socketing together smaller polyhedra.


Conception

Zaks (an acronym for Ziegler's Animated Konstruction System) was invented by Calgary designer Jim Ziegler. Ziegler's initial inspiration for Zaks came from visiting
Expo 67 The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, commonly known as Expo 67, was a general exhibition from April 28 to October 29, 1967. It was a category one world's fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of the most s ...
and walking through the American pavilion, a geodesic dome designed by
Buckminster Fuller Richard Buckminster Fuller (; July 12, 1895 – July 1, 1983) was an American architect, systems theorist, writer, designer, inventor, philosopher, and futurist. He styled his name as R. Buckminster Fuller in his writings, publishing more t ...
, and from Fuller's book ''Utopia or Oblivion''. In Ziegler's words, "Fuller had a conviction that understanding triangulated geometry would be essential to man's success, because that's the most efficient way to build. My reasoning was that for people to accept that idea, they needed to have it in their hands and just play with it." Ziegler had the idea for Zaks in 1982, while making a wooden jewelry box for his wife. He came up with 85% of the invention over two weeks. Over 18 months, he invested $70,000, half of it his own money, while working on the prototype as a hobby. He approached Irwin Toy, who were looking for a Canadian-designed toy that they could market globally. Irwin kept the toy's development secret due to its innovative quality and commercial potential; according to Irwin Toy vice-president George Irwin, "Only three or four people in the company knew about Zaks". The toy was named in October, 1986 and unveiled to retailers in January 1987.


Release

Zaks was released in Canada in August 1987 and was an immediate success, becoming the eighth best-selling toy in Canada in 1987 and helping Irwin Toy recover from $2.6 million losses in 1985. Irwin Toy anticipated Zaks would become a $20 to $30 million business across North America within two years. Inventor Jim Ziegler suggested Zaks' compatibility with more established construction toys
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
and Tyco helped with their marketing. After the launch of Zaks, Lego released two television commercials featuring a boy named Zack, "a Lego maniac"; the ad campaign was perceived by some observers as an acknowledgment of Zaks' release. Zaks was distributed in the United States in 1988 by Ohio Art Company, and was also released in Europe and Australia. By 1990, Zaks had reached sales of about $25 million but sales had slowed significantly. By 1995 Zaks had sold $28 million worldwide.


Sets

Irwin Toy initially released Zaks sets with 52, 144, 274, and 474 pieces, with prices ranging from about C$10 to C$40. Ohio Arts released 48, 96, 152 and 328 piece Zaks sets in 1988 and added 16 and 354 piece sets in 1989. Ohio Arts also released themed sets, including sets to build a magic circle, pink pig, masks, a dirt buggy, and a battle cruiser.


Awards and recognition

Zaks won the Canadian Toy Testing Council Award of Merit as Best Construction Toy of 1987 and the 1988 Canada Award for Business Excellence Gold Medal in Industrial Design. Zaks was the Australian Toy Association 1988 Hobby and Craft winner and runner-up for Toy of the Year. The
Center for Science in the Public Interest The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is a Washington, D.C.–based non-profit watchdog and consumer advocacy group. History and funding CSPI is a consumer advocacy organization. Its focus is nutrition and health, food safety ...
gave Zaks its 1988 Hubbard Lemon Award for misleading advertising in the Toys category. A spokesman for the awards stated that "Zaks simply can't be made to do the wild gyrations that appear in the commercial". Ohio Art Company responded that they "try to show in the television commercial that the product can be animated and that the pieces move after they're put together." Zaks was included in the exhibition "Art in Everyday Life: Observations on Contemporary Canadian Design" held at
The Power Plant The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery is a Canadian public art gallery located at Harbourfront Centre in the heart of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Gallery is a registered Canadian charitable organization. Initially established in 1976 as ...
art gallery from June 24 to September 11, 1988, and in the exhibition's accompanying book. The exhibition was a curated survey exploring mass-produced objects designed in Canada from 1967 to 1987.


References


External links

* {{Cite web, url=http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Irwin-Toy-Limited-Company-History.html, title = History of Irwin Toy Limited – FundingUniverse Art and craft toys Construction toys 1980s toys