When Words With Friends launched in 2009 it took the nation by storm. At its peak, it was a cultural phenomenon, loved by everyone from your family, to your favorite celebrities. Eight years later, however, its popularity had dwindled. Though still a beloved franchise, the brand had become less relevant.

The mobile gaming world was in its infancy in 2009, and has since blown up. That makes for a category that rewards the new, not the familiar. Our team was tasked with developing a campaign that would leverage the product launch as a way to make Words With Friends relevant again, and in turn grow the business.

In 2009 Words With Friends took the world by storm, but momentum has since subsided. To launch Words With Friends 2 and reignite a cultural phenomenon, we took inspiration from the real stories of those who play the game and celebrated the real reason people play – to stay connected.

We demonstrated how one word has the power to change the lives of real people, told the story of a funny word connecting two people separated by age and distance, and connected families with interactive, playable one-word holiday cards. Ultimately, our idea was to showcase something we’ve known all along – words, whether written, or played in yellow tiles, are central to creating lasting connections.

Our target, "Social Connectors," are educated, caring, always connected and empathetic individuals (22-44). They value relationships, health and keeping up with pop culture and news.

With many head-to-head games, the instinct is to lean into themes of struggle/competition – but as we learned more about the consumer, it was apparent there were two things they really valued about the game.

First was the sense of meaningful, not mindless play. Our gamers liked to focus, think, and find that one right word. It wasn’t about beating the other person – it was about solving the puzzle.

Second was the way that meaningful play leads to shared experiences. Players love WWF because it connects all kinds of of people, transcending both physical and emotional distance.

Combining these ideas, our solution was an integrated campaign that reminded new and lapsed users of the connective power of even a single word played on WWF2.

While a loved franchise, Words With Friends 2 now lives in a more competitive category. The mobile gaming world was in its infancy in 2009 and has since blown up. To regain relevance, our solution was an integrated campaign inspired by the real stories of those who play the game.

Our first spot, “Power of Words,” demonstrated how one word has the power to change the lives of real people. Using real footage of everyday people, the emotional reactions were genuine and powerful. Paired with a track by Odesza and Leon Bridges, our emotional story captivated millions online and on TV.

In our research, we heard countless stories of how the game connects people across generations and from different walks of life. Our second spot “Gramps”, (online and on TV) is one of those stories brought to life, demonstrating a familiar story of how the game connects everyone from teenage kids to their grandparents living half a world away.

We then discovered that game play spiked during holidays. To further demonstrate the connective power of the game, we created interactive, playable one-word holiday cards and promoted them in-game and on social channels. Mimicking game play, they allowed people to create, personalized cards to send to loved ones.

After three months of fast-paced production, it was time to launch. For additional information about the campaign scale, timing and touch points, please see the confidential section.

After 72 hours, Words With Friends 2 was back at #1 in the App Store. Ultimately, our campaign delivered the strongest quarterly revenue in the franchise’s 8-year history, followed by record setting growth throughout the rest of 2018. Words With Friends 2 was featured everywhere from national news to the season finale of Silicon Valley, firmly cementing it back in its rightful place in pop-culture.

After just 72 hours, Words With Friends 2 was back at #1 in the App Store. Ultimately, our campaign delivered the strongest quarterly revenue in the franchise’s 8-year history, followed by record setting growth throughout the rest of 2018. Words With Friends 2 was featured everywhere from national news to the season finale of Silicon Valley, firmly cementing it back in its rightful place in pop-culture.

For additional interactive banner results, please see the confidential section.