How do you get as many people as possible to buy your simplistic card game? And how do you get people to buy your game more than once? Make as many different versions, variations, and spin-offs as you could possibly imagine! There are countless different versions and adaptations of UNO- over 650, to be somewhat exact. Do take a look at this website for a comprehensive list of variations and spin-offs to get a sense of scale. These include spin-offs like Dos, but also versions incorporating imagery from popular culture and sports. For example, there is an NFL edition of UNO featuring famous NFL football players. Other versions feature images from Star Wars, Minecraft, and Barbie. Mattel promotes its huge assortment of UNO variations with a mix of innovative marketing strategies.
UNO also collaborates with social media influencers and celebrities to promote their game. For example, they collaborated with influencer and billionaire Kylie Jenner to make a custom UNO deck in celebration of Jenner’s twenty-third birthday. While this deck was not for sale publicly, it was shared with Jenner’s millions of social media followers, increasing brand awareness and exposure. UNO has also been featured in TV commercials as early as the 1980s. More recently, UNO gained exposure through Mattel’s search for a Chief UNO Player to employ, stating they would be paid $277 an hour. This job offer gained international attention, grabbing headlines from the likes of CNN and the BBC. UNO also appears in popular cinematic and TV productions. For instance, the newly released Barbie adaptation on UNO was featured in the 2023 Barbie movie. By intertwining UNO with popular culture, creating variations based on popular culture, and featuring UNO in popular culture, Mattel has established UNO as a global franchise.