Warhammer Blind Packs 7 – What Exactly Are They?
I recently corrected a debate where ”blind packs” were considered similar to ‘blind bags’. The thread rested on what exactly were Warhammer Blind Pack. The open discussion roamed to and fro on the concept of surprise packaging.
What is ‘bling bag’ marketing? The concept of off-selling less valuable products, or less desirable products by combining them with high-demand objects is the premise for bling packaging. Even though the items must be somewhat relevant to the store, the final decision on the content is up to the merchant.
Blind bags have been in use since the 1930s with perishable items combined with valuable products. One common usage was the Thanksgiving turkey basket which included a set of seasonings commonly used to prepare the Thanksgiving dinner. However, most of these spices were older products that the merchant wanted to dispose of, to make room for Christmas.
Games Workshop Blind Packs
Although Games Workshop uses the word ‘blind’ in its special packs, it does not comply with the concept of blind bag marketing. The company releases a set of pieces belonging to an established army. All pieces in the set remain in high demand and the buyers know what they will be getting.
For example, take this newsprint from the ICv2:
”Games Workshop’s blind pack Warhammer Heroes Series 4 will be available in select Target stores and on the Target website, but not available from Games Workshop’s own webstore, the company announced.
The packs feature seven miniatures from various Space Marine squads in Strike Force Justian, including Intercessors, an Assault Intercessor, a Heavy Intercessor, an Eliminator, and a Captain, with a random figure in each box. Each box also includes a Kill Team datacard with full rules and a ploy for the team.”
Interestingly, we know exactly what the package contains. The only thing ‘blind’ about it is a random figure in each box. It is more like a combo.
As defined above, there has to be something that is of lesser value or demand – old spices, summer close during the winter, acid candies after Halloween, etc. The Games Workshop deal is a unique twist to the marketing method which explains why it is always sold out.