Agent costume is not limited to designing and making costumes. We have been hired to create props, sets and even to translate someone’s idea for an invention into a reality.
Mentos, yes, the lollies, put out a call for crazy inventions, in line with the creative but useless inventions made famous in Japan, Chindōgu style.
Umbrella Back Pack
The Umbrella Back pack is one such idea, and so won the Mentos competition. Mentos was now bound to turn this winning idea into reality.
Umbrella back pack
Enter “Agent Costume” two brains combined to turn this around in a matter of weeks.
Step 1- research back packs.
We could have sewn one together from scratch, but the reality is, it’s much less time consuming with less expense to customise a ready made one.
Step 2- Research umbrellas.
Step 3- Design a housing for the umbrella and a mechanism to eject the umbrella with a flick of a switch.
Once we worked out a rough idea, we purchased the materials needed and set about making it all work together. Agent Costume customised the back back to house the umbrella receptacle and motor, and threaded the wires through the straps and fixed the switch at an easy to reach placement at the front.
Hired brain, otherwise known as Agent Foo, built the housing in his work shop and customised the machinery he’d selected at a hobby store to suit his purpose.
umbrella switch and battery pack
Before we knew it, we had a fully functional Umbrella sprouting back pack!
Umbrella Back Pack
Sure, the wearer has to move their head to let the umbrella fully release, but that just adds to the funny awkward fun, right?
Of course, it’s a great idea, but, in truth, the umbrella and it’s housing take up all the space in the back pack. Hence the ridiculous appeal of this not enirely so useful invention.
Have a look at it in action:
Mentos Promotion, featuring Back Pack Umbrella