Brief:

• Xfinity Mobile last week launched a gamified campaign on social media platform Pinterest to promote its wireless phone and data service. The Comcast-owned mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) created three mobile games that people can play directly on Pinterest's platform, the company said in an email to Mobile Marketer.
• The games use the built-in Pinterest button for web browsers called a Pin extension to highlight a feature of Xfinity's wireless network. The "Switch 'n Save" game challenges Pinterest users to collect coins while steering a rocket ship, while "Got You Covered" asks them to connect a network of aliens. Players of "Mix 'n Match" must match data orbs to build a planet.
• The campaign, created by ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, showcases Pinterest's appeal to a wide range of consumers, including those interested in mini games. Xfinity posted a video on YouTube to demonstrate how the games work.

Insight:

Xfinity Mobile's campaign is notable for offering a gamified experience on Pinterest, the social media platform that lets people create digital inspiration pinboards and has a user base that is two-thirds women with 85% of users on mobile. With women accounting for 70% of mobile gamers overall, Xfinity Mobile turned its Pinterest ads into mini mobile games aim to engage users with a branded experience while highlighting key features of Xfinity's mobile service. As Pinterest users look for images to collect in their pinboards, a mobile game can provide a "thumb-stopping" experience that prolongs exposure to Xfinity's branding.

The campaign arrives as Pinterest continues to grow. The platform's monthly average user (MAU) base grew 13% to 96 million in the U.S. in Q2 from a year earlier, per a quarterly report. However, Pinterest saw U.S. revenue slip by 2% to $232 million as the coronavirus pandemic dampened demand for advertising. Xfinity's campaign may indicate that marketers are returning to the platform as the economy recovers.

By creating a gamified campaign for Pinterest, Xfinity can engage with a growing audience of consumers who are more difficult to reach through traditional media. Smartphones are the most popular way for people to play video games, with 61% of gamers using their mobile devices to play, ahead of 52% for game consoles and 49% for personal computers, per the Entertainment Software Association.

Xfinity Mobile is the latest brand to offer gamified content in a campaign to engage audiences. Recess, a brand of seltzer infused with cannabidiol (CBD), last week introduced an online game as part of a campaign that includes a pop-up experience on retro-inspired online radio station Poolside.FM. Fashion brand Burberry has created several games in the past year, including one that let players dress their gaming avatars in its clothing. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chobani and Jack in the Box have recently run campaigns that feature gamified content.

Wireless services are a significant growth driver for Xfinity's parent company Comcast, which reported its wireless lines grew 51% to 2.39 million in Q2 from a year earlier, outpacing the 5.8% growth in high-speed internet service to households and businesses. That growth contrasts with the decline in video subscribers, which fell 5.9% to 20.4 million during period, as more households canceled cable TV service, per its quarterly report.