Have you ever seen a toddler playing with action figures?
When you see a 5 year old kid playing with his toys, he creates his own situations, adventures and plots.
The younger he is the more that he plays by his own rules.
That’s why you may find them playing on the carpet with Ironman in one hand and The Joker in other, fighting to save some unknown planet. Creating a natural succession of events, conflicts and solutions that can be solved when a Pokemon jumps into the scene to save the day.
Then, as we grow up, we sadly end forgetting that “open source logic” and more and more move into the “how things should be” model.
In our adult mental model, there is a Marvel box and a DC box. Because there are Marvel movies and DC movies. This is obvious and normal as any father would explain: they are different franchises.
Of course his 5 year old would look him and say: Different whaaat?
One of the first lessons marketers learn when building differentiation is taking advantage of assets and celebrities to promote their brand.
The logic behind it is simple: if you don’t have enough equity or awareness on your own, just step by someone who does. Eventually some of that huge equity will slide to your product or brand.
If you were a challenger beverage, you created a huge campaign with a rockstar.
If you wanted to be quickly be know by male adults, you stamped your brand on a soccer t-shirt.
If you want to be perceived as an elegant marmalade, you secured to be present at a high end restaurant breakfast table.
You got the point.
In essence, that’s the principle that enabled the whole sponsorship industry.
A Transference of equity in exchange of funding that enabled the sponsored asset to grow (and in some cases even exist).
One inevitable consequence of that logic is that in order to work -and charge more- it is necessary that no similar brand has the same right. Or no other brand at all.
The underlying value behind it is as old and outdated as you can go back in time: DIVISION.
Companies, media, people and we all as users of those brands fed the idea of that exclusiveness and separation.
Remember de Marvel and DC Boxes?
Fast forward and that kid now has 12.
Enter Fortnite to show us what was obvious.
I can talk for hours on how many rules this game bent, broke or changed but i want to focus on how well it interprets how we human work.
The +12 MM users game recreates in his own universe characters, situations and emotions that are deeply rooted in our human essence. I would argue that this is the most powerful force that made them extremely successful in less than 18 months worldwide.
Fortnite uses in extent the introduction of successful “real life” assets into their universe.
The difference is that the underlying rule is COEXISTANCE, rather than division. (I know it sounds crazy talking about a last player standing shooting game, but bear with me for a moment)
That’s why in a game lobby you would find a team a party of 6 players that gathers Batman, Groot, Kylo Ren, Marshmellow and Lebron James. (and also some proprietary characters)
They are recreating that original carpet scene. No boxes, less rules; and that connects to that deep original feeling of true play, joy and endless possibilities. Nobody will ask why or how they do it. It just makes sense.
Because there was no place so far when you can put all your randomness together: music, sports, movies, cartoons.
Coexisting regardless of the franchise, royalty or agreement.
All together like in your mind. Or in your heart? That’s up to you to reflect.