Squidmar hides golden tickets in new MK II brush sets

Squidmar has turned its new MK II brush launch into a miniature treasure hunt, hiding two golden tickets in two different boxes and tying the prize directly to the excitement around a new sable set. The tickets can turn up in either the Base or Deluxe sets, bought through the US store or the World store, and each winner gets a visit to the Squidmar office with travel and lodging covered up to $1,400.

The timing is deliberate. Pre-orders are already live, and Squidmar says the brushes release on May 18. Squidmar USA lists shipping start at 15:00 CET that same day, giving the campaign a built-in burst of urgency for painters already thinking about their next brush restock. The company’s choice to spread the tickets across both box tiers keeps the gimmick accessible, instead of reserving the headline prize for the most expensive option.

That matters because the launch is not a throwaway novelty. The Base Brush Set Kolinsky MKII is priced at $69, while the Deluxe Brush Set Kolinsky MKII is listed at $94. The deluxe set includes sizes XS, S, M, L, XL, and B, and Squidmar says the line was refined and tested over multiple years. The updated range adds a new BOLD brush and a reworked XL, building on the MKI legacy while pushing the set further as a purpose-built hobby tool.

Squidmar is also leaning hard on craft credibility. The brushes are produced in collaboration with da Vinci, and the deluxe set is made in Germany by da Vinci Defet GmbH in Nürnberg. Squidmar says the design was shaped by Emil Nyström and Lukas Holmström, and that the MKII brushes have already been used in multiple award-winning Golden Demon pieces. That positioning gives the promotion more weight than a simple giveaway: it sells the tools first and the golden-ticket hunt second.

The strategy fits Squidmar’s broader playbook. Its 2020 Squidmar Kolinsky Miniature Paintbrush Kickstarter drew 7,649 backers and raised SEK 6,193,174 against a SEK 253,700 goal during its June 15 to July 6, 2020 run. More recently, the Squidmar Open 2025 entries ran from December 1, 2025 to January 30, 2026, reinforcing the brand’s habit of turning product drops and hobby events into community moments.

That is the real story behind the golden tickets. Squidmar is not just selling brushes; it is selling a launch people will talk about, chase, and share, while the MKII set sits at the center of the hype.