Competitive Advantage

Thanks at least in part to the rise in board games’ popularity during the pandemic, corporate and fashion marketers have gravitated to this category. Several have recently created limited-edition board game releases as a means to promote their brands:

• Vivetta Ponti, an emerging Italian designer, paired with Mattel’s new collaborations platform, Mattel Creations, for a limited-edition version of UNO, which is marking its 50th anniversary this year. The game, announced last week, is part of a broader pairing with Vogue Talents, which scouts the world for new designers and other creatives. The game, described as “playable art,” is available for pre-order through the Mattel Creations website.
• General Mills paired with Hasbro in February for Lucky’s CharmWorld, a limited-edition Lucky Charms version of Candy Land. The effort was part of a broader St. Patrick’s Day marketing program to support the leprechaun-fronted cereal brand. The initiative also encompassed shoe charms from Crocs, Cold Stone Creamery ice cream flavors, and a JibJab video e-card, along with a limited-edition cereal that turned milk green.
• Off-White, the label of fashion designer Virgil Abloh, partnered with AmorePacific in late January for a fashion and skincare venture called the Protection Box. The collaborative kit contained limited-edition beauty and fashion products such as Off-White cotton pads, sheet masks, lip balm, and an Abloh-designed cloth mask, all aimed at resolving pandemic-specific beauty needs. At the same time, the two companies launched a limited-edition Play Kit, which is a version of the Korean board game yut nori, often played during the Korean New Year. Both boxes debuted through a raffle on the AmorePacific website, followed by a launch in select stores in Japan, Korea, and China.
• Third-party restaurant delivery service Doordash created a limited-edition board game called Doordash Superyum! in December, aimed at consumers aged 3 and up. Players moved their pieces through a variety of cuisines from different countries until they reached the ultimate goal: delivery. The game was available in 14 markets through the DashMart area of the Doordash app. It retailed for $9.99, but the first 100 customers to order received the game for free.

Corporate brands have always had a presence, albeit a relatively small one, in the board game industry, from Coca Cola-opoly from MasterPieces, currently available, to RoseArt’s M&Ms Party Game back in the 1990s. The number of examples that have come up in quick succession in the past year is notable, however, as is the current use of the category more as a promotional tool than a revenue driver.

A reminder that Raugust Communications’ monthly e-newsletter comes out tomorrow, Tuesday, April 20, 2021. The Licensing Topic of the Month examines the experiential role licensed merchandise has played during the pandemic, while the Datapoint research spotlight takes a look at the composition of the licensed face mask landscape. If you do not yet receive this free publication, you can subscribe here.