Brown ID rewrites Scrabble look

Branding and packaging specialist Brown ID and its sister company Added Value have redesigned Scrabble, the world’s most popular word game.

Following this week’s relaunch by Mattel Games, the redesigned game will be sold in more than 100 markets globally, in 30 languages. The range includes Scrabble Original, Deluxe Scrabble, Junior Scrabble, My First Scrabble and Travel Scrabble, while additional new versions will be introduced in the future.

Launched in 1952, the board game has been redesigned twice during the past 48 years. Mattel opted for a more modern image to reflect its core values and react to consumer demand, while retaining its familiar green, red and white colour palette. Brown ID has overseen the rebranding during the past 15 months, while Added Value carried out pre-design research, established Scrabble’s positioning and identified the game’s areas of consumer growth.

“The spirit of friendly competition is key to the relaunch of Scrabble,” explains Brown ID associate director Don Landers. “The new design sees the playing tiles become the heroes of the game, as they are brought to life as characters in their own right, sparring with each other to win. This modern and fun image reflects the competitive spirit that players around the world have enjoyed for over 50 years.”

Junior Scrabble uses the visual language of cartoons and comic books to appeal to children, while Scrabble Original, the family version, features two tiles captured in a glowing beam of light, playing tug of war over the famous Triple Word Score space. “In establishing a mood for the game we wanted to create a feeling that the lights have been dimmed, a hush has fallen across the room and the battle is about to begin,” says Brown ID chairman Dave Brown.

“We considered personality, product differentiation, modernity and shelf impact for the new look, as well as improving the quality of the product offering through new structural designs that would add value, but not cost,” he adds.

Mattel Games marketing director Paul McGarry says: “Brown ID/ Added Value have shown that insightful strategic thinking can lead to inspirational designs.”