FarmVille, Angry Birds Get Branded Releases

Both Zynga and Rovio launched branded versions of their biggest games this week, with both Farmville and Angry Birds receiving versions as part of advertising partnerships. Rovio has partnered with Wonderful Pistachios to launch The Hunt for the Golden Pistachio, the first fully branded version of the famous game franchise. As part of the agreement, there are also a number of Wonderful Pistachios adverts being shown that feature the characters from Angry Birds, with the ads dubbed the "Get Crackin'" campaign. Elsewhere, Zynga has announced a new expansion for popular social game Farmville that is sponsored by Discover Financial Services. The Winter Wonderland expansion, which is due to launch on December 5, features an orange Yeti who must use his Discover bank card to do Christmas shopping, as players attempt to help his complete this task. Players will also receive special rewards and farm items from Discover simply by visiting the new expansion. Mike Boush, vice president of e-business at Discover, explained, "Social games bring people together into virtual communities." "They're captivating increasingly larger online audiences that include many of our Discover cardmembers. Partnering with Zynga to develop a unique in-game experience helps us connect and engage with players and put more fun in time spent online." Of the Angry Birds partnership, Wonderful Pistachios senior director of marketing Marc Seguin said, "We’re excited to give consumers the snacks they crave with pistachios and feed the frenzy for new Angry Birds content with the launch of this game."