Many of Hasbro’s games have gone digital. But now, for the first time, a popular digital word game is going “analog” – becoming a social gaming experience like no other. Lost Highway Films‘ director <a href=" www.losthighwayfilms.com“>Sasha Levinson and New York based youth and family focused marketing agency UPROAR! have teamed up to bring Hasbro’s popular game Words with Friends from touch-screen to living room.
The term “social gaming” ironically usually refers to games played over the internet, in an impersonal way. The folks at Zynga and Hasbro teamed up to make this hot digital game a truly interactive face-to-face game.
Originally released in 2009 as a mobile application, Words with Friends is a top ranking game in the Apple Application Store. A two-player, interactive crossword puzzle game, users can also interact via a chat feature of the app. Words With Friends can be played on an Android and iOS (iPhone,iPad, iPod Touch), Facebook, Kindle, and Nook tablets.
Director <a href=" www.losthighwayfilms.com“>Sasha Levinson began preparing for the spot with some in depth research. “As soon as I started writing the treatment, I downloaded the app and started to play. I was immediately hooked.”said Sasha, who had a hand in selecting the words being played on the board in the spot.
“Sasha …got in on the ground floor as we hammered out word matrix after word matrix, in search of a winning combination.” said Stacy Lewis-Golden, Creative Director for UPROAR!. Playing the game became a fun way for team members on both the production and agency side to get to know each other.
The spot features a group of four girlfriends, and we are introduced to each individual character as she goes about her day, playing Words with Friends via phone wherever she goes. The women are shown at the airport, shopping for shoes, and enjoying a coffee, all while playing together from afar. The group of girlfriends, who stay connected by playing Words with Friends when they’re apart, then get together for a Girl’s Night In.
“I think we found a group of four women that feel authentically like old friends. They had so much fun interacting and playing together.”says Sasha of the camaraderie between the talent. All are surprised when the hostess introduces them to the Hasbro version of the game – where they all can play together, at once. The tagline used… “one of the word’s most popular social word games just got more social” speaks to the face-to-face connection that the Hasbro game delivers.
<a href=" www.losthighwayfilms.com“>Sasha Levinson‘s previous work for fashion brands such as Bloomingdale’s and Reebok brought to the table just what Hasbro and UPROAR! were looking for. “We were attracted by the contemporary look of her previous work and were excited to have her bring her talents to our spot” noted Dan Lombardi, Creative Director at UPROAR!.
Both agency and client were committed to bringing a modern, fashionable and female perspective to the spot. “Sasha captured the emotion of playing this game with friends in a real and authentic way” added Lombardi. The result is a piece that communicates the fun social aspect of the board game, and that just like the mobile app the Words With Friends board game is on trend. “Their chemistry really illustrates how much fun board games can be, and I think will inspire people to play the face to face version of Words With Friends.” Says Sasha of the talent, who witnessed the impact of the spot first hand. “My Mom saw the commercial last night and she said she was going to buy a game for the house!”
Credits
Agency: UPROAR!
CEO: Bob Chimbel
President: Kim Merrill
Chief Creative Officer of Gaming Excellence: Erik Nelson
Sr. Vice President: Helen McDermott
Account Director: Michael Kosowicz
Account Supervisor: Erica Hood
Account Executive: Courtney Griffin
Creative Director: Stacy Lewis
Creative Director: Dan Lombardi
Director of Broadcast: Don Seay
Producer: Christina Cooksey
Production LOST HIGHWAY FILMS
Director: <a href=" www.losthighwayfilms.com“>Sasha Levinson
Executive Producer: Marc Rosenberg
Head of Production: Barry Fink
Editorial: Crew Cuts
Executive Producer: Nancy Shames
Producer: Jessica Gonsalves
Editor: Matt Shapiro
About Lost Highway Films
Lost Highway Films is a television & film production company specializing in commercials, webisodes, internet content, virals, and promos. LHF understands client’s goals creatively and can provide amazing production value and support. Director <a href=" www.losthighwayfilms.com“>Sasha Levinson rounds out the LHF roster comprised of Caitlin Felton, Todd Bellanca, Elma Garcia, Eddy Chu, Michael Patterson, and Peter Rabot. For further information contact LHF at 212.242.7400, e-mail info@losthighwayfilms.com or visit our website at www.losthighwayfilms.com.
About UPROAR!
UPROAR! is the kid and family centered marketing agency that ignites these markets with inspired creative fueled by passion and insight. Uproar! is the only resource within the Omnicom system dedicated to the $100+billion market of kids, tweens, teens and their moms. Kids and families are the center of our universe. We uniquely connect to these markets by overturning conventional thought, kicking in the doors of common creative and believing nothing is impossible. Make a change… start an UPROAR! For further information contact UPROAR! At 212.415.2300 or visit www.uproar.us.com.
