Global toy company Mattel and Aussie snack manufacturer Cobs Popcorn have partnered to release 13 new ‘game changing’ cards for the classic card game, UNO.
The companies said in a statement, during the promotional period March 16 – April 1, 2018, the specially marked UNO Cobs Popcorn packs across Australia will include a single card to add to original UNO with never seen before actions to use against opponents.
The partnership between Mattel and Cobs is tipped to drive further interest in the iconic family game and stimulate additional talkability in the FMCG category.
Jacinta Whitehead, Mattel senior marketing manager, said Cobs and Mattel share the values of family fun and the meaningful partnership between the two unlikely brands is an exciting innovation.
“UNO is our hero brand within the game category and we are always looking for new and innovative ways to keep it top of mind. This partnership allows the game to have a presence outside of the toy aisle. In launching these limited-edition cards, we’re appealing not only to existing UNO enthusiasts but a whole new audience of card game players,” said Whitehead.
Mattel worked closely with creative agency Lost Art to create the idea and ensure the new additions added to the appeal of the already popular card game. Axel Moline, Lost Art general manager, said as huge UNO fan, the opportunity to explore avenues for changing the way the game is played, and working with the iconic design UNO is famous for, has been a dream job.
“We wanted to find an FMCG partner that might be consumed while families and friends play a game, so Cobs Popcorn was an obvious choice and one with whom we could integrate in gameplay,” said Moline.
The new UNO Cobs Popcorn partnership continues a run of localised innovation from Mattel Australia with recent standouts including Aussie Scrabble, Barbie by You and VJunior cinema. Some fun card highlights include a ‘deflection card’ which can be played anytime to bounce a card back onto the player that cast it, a ‘draw eight wild card’ and the crowd-pleaser ‘popcorn card’ which allows only consumers to access the popcorn for one round.
The specially marked Cobs Popcorn packs will retail for $3.29 through Coles and Woolworths until stocks last.
