OK, admit it...if you own an iPhone, an iPad or an Android device, you have purchased Angry Birds, or one of its sister games, Angry Birds - Seasons or Angry Birds, Rio. I admit, I have all of them, and I can't wait for the next iteration to be released.Developed by Rovio Mobile, it has become a global sensation, now entering the Chinese market, with expected downloads of 100 million in China by the end of 2011 according to Brandchannel.com.
Angry Birds is one of the most mindless games I've ever come across, yet I find myself completely addicted to it. Good thing I don't bring my iPad to the office!
For the few of you who aren't familiar with Angry Birds, the game basically pits a team of birds, each with a special feature or skill (some drop bombs, some go really fast, some split into multiple birds, etc), against a strange legion of bodyless pigs, who apparently have taken over the bird santuaries. The player and his team of birds participate in a series of missions to oust the pigs from each of these sanctuaries by destroying the structures and killing all the pigs. The more destruction you cause and the less birds you use in the completion of each mission, the more points you score.
Sound stupid? That's because it is! Yet it is undeniably fun to play and I'm convinced it's designed for Type A personalities like mine who simply can't put it down until they've completed all of the missions.
Even worse, once I've completed all of the missions, I need to go back and complete each the missions again collecting three stars on all of them (the highest score possible). Then I have to go back and find all the hidden golden trophies (which give you a few more "special missions")! Ahhhhh!!! Help me!
Now I know what you're saying: The mission of this blog is to discuss marketing news and trends. So what does my experience with Angry Birds have to do with marketing, you ask? Nothing I guess, other than highlighting the success Angry Birds developers have had in creating successful brand loyalty, brand extension and brand alignment...through brand addiction. A simple, mindless game for Type A personalities has become one of the most successful mobile products ever developed. I'd say that's a pretty good marketing story.
And it also gives me a forum to share my Angry Birds frustration. Hey, it's my blog.
