Rovio, the company responsible for the hit video game Angry Birds, has been slowly rolling out a global merchandising strategy designed to leverage every aspect of the game's iconic imagery via apparel, accessories, and even small amusement parks. Now the company has announced plans to take that branding into a totally new direction: prepaid debit cards, PC Magazine reports.
The cards are being offered as part of a co-branding deal with Kaiku, a California-based company that began offering prepaid Visa debit cards in July. Users will be able to load the cards from a bank account, credit card, direct deposit, or through PayPal.
"We launched Kaiku with a commitment to be a next-generation prepaid product for all kinds of consumers," Kaiku CEO Jon Round said in a statement. "Angry Birds is one of the most popular global games today and therefore epitomizes widespread appeal. This makes Rovio an ideal partner to help us make prepaid a smart and affordable financial option in today's increasingly cashless and mobile society."
In addition to offering a credit card-like solution for consumer transactions, the Angry Birds card will also allow users to access their account information, receive account text alerts, and send money to other Kaiku cardholders for free using mobile apps on the iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android platforms.
Although Kaiku is a relatively unfamiliar name for most debit card users, the company has already managed to lock in roughly 50,000 surcharge-free ATM locations in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, and Mexico. Because the cards are not linked to a banking account, they may serve as an attractive way for parents to empower their children with a credit card-style option they can directly control, a particularly useful tool in the age of in-app and in-game purchases.
"Rovio and Kaiku share a common philosophy in that we love to delight our fans with products that are affordable and packed with great features," said Rovio vice president Andrew Stalbow.
The card will be available to the public in early 2013.
