Kickstarter continually throws up some truly bizarre projects that seek anything from €100 to pretty much any figure you can think of. This week we’ve found three such oddities.
The reason some Kickastarter campaigns succeed, and others fail, is very difficult to pin down. Is it all down to the idea, or does the presentation of your project matter more?
Should you seek a modest amount, or an outlandish sum?
While the best-funded projects have been dealt with before, this week I’ve looked through three current campaigns that, on the face of it, look insane.
1. Sweary colouring book
Seeking just £100, the Sweary Colouring Book from Sara Bigwood has outstripped its target many times over, notching up around £11,000 before its closure any minute now.
In truth, it will be closed by the time many people read this, but it’s too weird to leave out – and specifically targeted at adults, it should be noted.
The name says it all, really. It’s a colouring book of creatively-drawn swear words “for the days when only a big swear will do”!
Pledges of £2-£50 puts this at the extremely modest end of the crowdfunding spectrum, helping it prove a remarkable success.
You can get downloadable prints for a couple of quid or signed copies of the 20-page book if you feel like throwing a bit more support Sarah’s way.
“This project is all about fancy swearing,” she says. “The adult colouring market has expanded massively this year and continues to grow.”
2: ReadySip – The first smart hot beverage monitor
A ‘smart’ thermometer that really stretches the word’s meaning, ReadySip is made for the average Joe/Joanne.
“I co-founded ReadySip after burning my tongue time and again on hot coffee,” explains Alex Burdine. “I thought to myself: why can’t I make a device that lets me know when my coffee is ready to drink but warns me before it gets too cold.”
That device, to any common adult, would be called a brain. But, hey, in a world where there are smart devices that tell you when you are thirsty, tired or bored, why not make the dreadfully complex world of hot beverage consumption that much easier.
Seeking $20,000, Burdine and co already have $3,400 after just a couple of days, with plenty of time to go.
I have no idea if this bizarre project will actually make its goal, but for just(!) $5,000 you can even meet the team, get flown to their offices and stay in a local hotel.
Sign. Me. Up.
3: Flosstime – World’s first smart floss dispenser
“That’s the kind of thing people will buy.” So said a colleague when I told him of this smart floss dispenser. I disagreed, claiming it was crazy. Looks like I was wrong.
It sticks to your mirror and ‘smiles’ when you floss your teeth. (The smile is merely green lights. Much like its red-light frown when you don’t floss.)
“Traditional floss dispensers are old, outdated and hard to remember,” according to the project description. Are they actually hard to remember? If so, the same can be said of a toothbrush, surely.
“Flosstime is a habit-forming device that will make flossing fun and nearly impossible to forget.”
This has proved remarkably successful, gaining over three times its $15,000 target with over a week to go.
So, if ever you want to make a crowdfunding video for your project, maybe add a bit more weird bathroom-bound dentist to your script.
Gigglebit is Siliconrepublic.com’s daily dose of the funny and fantastic in science and tech, to help start your day on a lighter note.
Confused man with laptop image via Shutterstock
