If you’ve been to a Dave & Buster’s or other indoor amusement attraction, one machine likely got its claws into you—the claw machine. Based on cranes and early 20th-century steam shovels, the clear-glass boxes entice you with a mix of retro mechanical manipulation and hard-to-grasp prizes that break your heart when they slip away.
Now there’s a way to get a grasp and hold it—on a claw machine, that is. Coppell-based Dave & Buster’s is launching the Claw Purse, a limited-edition purse designed by L.A. brand collaborator Chain. Dave & Buster’s calls the new bag “the season’s most unexpected fashion statement made for anyone who loves bold style, nostalgia, and a little bit of play.”
Marking what the brand calls “a major milestone,” the Claw Purse is debuting alongside the expansion of Dave & Buster’s Human Crane, a viral, full-body game experience that turns guests into the claw, where they are lowered down into a bin of huge prizes to grab whatever they choose.
The Human Crane at Dave & Busters. [Photo: Dave & Buster’s]
Beginning this month, the Human Crane will appear in over 112 Dave & Buster’s locations, with additional stores rolling out nationwide throughout the season, the company said.
Melissa Powers, senior director of marketing at Dave & Buster’s, said her company is “always looking for new ways to bring our guests into the experience.”
“The Claw Purse is a fun, unexpected extension of one of our most loved games and a celebration of the Human Crane’s expansion nationwide,” she added in a statement. “Partnering with Chain to bring this idea to life helped us tap into a fresh, cultural perspective and the result is a fashion accessory that reminds people great entertainment can show up anywhere, even your purse.”
The Claw Purse posing with a claw machine. [Photo: Dave & Buster’s]
The purse made its first appearance last weekend at Chain’s Holiday House in Los Angeles, becoming a crowd favorite among creators, stylists, and culture icons, Dave & Buster’s said.
“Demna did the Chips bag and Spade made ketchup packets into a clutch, so it only seemed right to us to work with Dave & Buster’s to create a Claw Machine bag,” Nicholas Kraft, chief creative officer of Chain, said in a statement. “Hopefully finding your keys in The Claw Purse is easier than winning a prize in an actual claw machine.”
Crafted in a signature bright orange colorway with clear paneling and a sculptural claw charm inside, the Claw Purse is available while supplies last beginning today at Dave & Buster’s website.
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Coppell-based Dave & Buster’s Entertainment is gearing up for spring break by dangling new enticements for visitors—including a new game that literally dangles guests up in the air. The all-new "Human Crane" experience is a life-sized version of the classic arcade claw machine—except here, guests act as the claw. Available in select Dave & Buster's locations nationwide, the Human Crane gently lowers guests into "a sea of oversized prizes," plus additional surprises throughout the year.
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