We All Need Heroes

ROVIO AND NASA STORY

Chapter: Re-inventions

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has trouble making itself heard, especially with the younger crowd, and interest in space technology has therefore decreased. In 2009, the Finnish computer game developer Rovio Entertainment created the video game Angry Birds – a phenomenon with a gigantic fan base of children of all ages. Rovio’s fourth game in the series, Angry Birds in Space, is set in outer space instead of planet Earth as the previous games. The idea for the game actually originated in a challenge NASA made to Rovio in 2011 on Twitter. NASA said it would help Rovio launch birds if “pigs could fly in space”. One thing led to another and in 2012 it was announced that Rovio was releasing the game, in a collaboration with both NASA and National Geographic. NASA scientists actually helped out in designing the physics-engine in the game.
   The announcement of Angry Birds in Space was truly ambitious. It wasn’t just the launch of a game: It was the launch of a huge franchise. The launch was bigger than most movie launches in Hollywood. Rovio managed to send stuffed animals and toys symbolizing the game’s characters and scenery into space, for real! A teaser for the game was actually filmed on the International Space Station, featuring a live Angry Birds demonstration and physics lesson from astronaut Don Pettit. Search for the video and be astonished. Angry Birds in Space is also supported by a book on physics and mathematics (with the colorful birds from the game of course) published by National Geographic, aiming to increase interest in the subjects. Imagine that this book was also handed out in schools in the United States – crazy but true.
   This is an example of how three very different companies can work together in order to jointly achieve the things they couldn’t have achieved alone. There will always be a need for people to work at NASA or similar working fields in the future, but the problem they face are the low interest in the subjects that are central, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, etc. Through this partnership, NASA can at least hope that the game’s audience will become more interested in physics and astronomy, and that they want to learn about NASA’s work. The key to this successful co-branding was that Rovio had the people and NASA the technology. With this marketing campaign Rovio used outer space as their billboard, which of course would have been impossible without the help of NASA. We thus have a win-win situation!

Possible Moral
Together equals stronger. This is an extraordinary example of co-branding. Suddenly Angry Birds had taken over space, without greater effort and with a marketing budget of $0 for Rovio. There are many examples where brands seek to benefit from each other’s image, such as McDonald’s and Disney, H&M and Versace. Although the story of Angry Birds in Space takes it to a whole new level, it’s a big time re-invention of classic co-branding.

Story from We All Need Heroes: Stories of the Brave and Foolish.
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