Monopoly was always a big part of my childhood. I can’t remember ever actually finishing a complete game as a kid, but I loved playing it. When I see it on the shelves, I’m immediately transported to my youth where I would broker real estate deals all summer long at summer camp. We changed the rules a bit in those days, but it was always fun.
The game’s tokens are just as memorable for me. There were plenty of arguments over the more popular pieces (thimble, the old boot, the race car, and the Scottie dog), and groans for whoever got stuck with pieces like the iron.
That’s why I was surprised to hear that Monopoly was looking to get rid of one of the pieces. It’s a brilliant piece of marketing and will definitely generate a lot of buzz, but does the Monopoly brand really need a refresh? Monopoly seems like a popular enough game to not have to resort to these types of marketing practices, right? Even if they don’t have to (or shouldn’t have to), I’m glad they’re doing the “Save Your Token” campaign. It’s a lot of fun to speculate on which token gets stuck in jail. It’s even more fun to advocate for the Old Boot. That’s right, I’m Team Old Boot, and yes…I did vote.
So, now I leave it up to you. Who are you going to save?
EDIT: I was in such a rush to start my Save the Old Boot campaign, that I didn’t post information on how to vote for your favorite token. Check out the Monopoly Facebook Page for more details (they even have the potential new tokens posted).