Happy Plugs
 | |
| Happy Plugs | |
| Private | |
| Industry | Audio, Consumer electronics |
| Founded | 2011[1] |
| Founder | Andreas Vural |
| Headquarters | Kungsgatan, Stockholm, Sweden |
Key people |
Andreas Vural (CEO, Board member)[2] Carl Henrik Ståhlberg (Chairman of the board)[2] Per Tobias Ekman (Board member)[2] |
Number of employees | 25+ – As of 2015 [3] |
| Website | happyplugs.com |
Happy Plugs is a Swedish brand that creates and manufactures mobile accessories. The company was started by Andreas Vural[4] in 2011 and had their first product out on the market in 2012.[5] Today the mobile accessory brand is sold at over 6,000 retailers worldwide, with retailers such as Colette, Le Bon Marché, Selfridges and Urban Outfitters.
History
Background
Struck with the concept of creating something colourful for the accessory market, founder Andreas Vural decided on headphones after being inspired by his girlfriend who wondered why ”most headphones only came in black and white” [sic]. When presenting the idea for friends and acquaintances he was only met with scepticism. They questioned how he would be able to compete against established actors like Sony and Philips, leaving Vural with second thoughts. He decided to move on and commissioned a plastic manufacturer to design the packaging where the headphones are arranged in the shape of a note. Taking a pair of white iPhone headphones and spray painting them he then went on the road to sell "his product".[6]
In August 2011 he found a distributor in Helsingborg that wished to order 25000 of them. With no company, no actual product and no knowledge of how to produce the product, Vural was caught off guard. Despite this he promised to deliver the headphones in time for the holiday season. Vural arranged to have them manufactured in China. On December 14 Vural delivered the first Happy Plugs to electronics retailer Siba.[7]
Collaborations
Together with MTV, Happy Plugs launched rainbow colored headphones to promote HBTQ rights. Happy Plugs have also teamed up with the American band Thirty Seconds To Mars, and lead singer Jared Leto to release a pair of headphones.[8]
Awards
In 2013 Happy Plugs was nominated to the Swedish fashion award "Guldknappen", "the Golden Button" in the accessories category.[9] In 2014 Happy Plugs won a Silver Pentaward for their heart shaped cable packaging.[10]
References
- ↑ "Verksamhet & Status Happy Plugs AB". UC allabolag AB. June 15, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Befattningshavare Happy Plugs AB". UC allabolag AB. June 15, 2015.
- ↑ "Alla sa att jag var helt korkad som ville göra det här". Veckans Affärer. May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Andreas Vural från Sveg…". Jessica Grip. May 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Happy Days For Happy Plugs". Johanna Snickars. April 10, 2014.
- ↑ "Fashion Electronics". Starta Företag. November 27, 2015.
- ↑ "40 – Andreas Vural, grundare och vd Happy Plugs". Startuppodden. May 28, 2015.
- ↑ "Jared Leto släpper hörlurar med…". Henrik Malmberg. March 10, 2015.
- ↑ "De Nominerade". Damernas Värld. August 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Pentawards Winners". Pentawards. Retrieved December 14, 2015.