Microsoft's Last-Minute Sticker Gamble Pays Off in Rare Consumer Hit

Microsoft's 1990s Entertainment Pack was meant to showcase its growing platform. The company chose not to use numerical branding, instead opting for a bold move that would come back to haunt or bless them in the end.

The sticker, reading 'Now includes TETRIS for Windows!' in bright red letters, was initially absent from the packaging of the Microsoft Entertainment Pack. This decision was made due to licensing negotiations with the game's creators that were still ongoing against a tight deadline.

Rather than risk having to destroy an entire print run of boxes if the deal didn't come through, Microsoft decided to craft its package without any mention of Tetris. In anticipation of this outcome, they had already produced red stickers on standby with the same claim.

Fortunately for Microsoft, the licensing deal was finalized just in time for the release of the Entertainment Pack. The 'Now includes TETRIS for Windows!' stickers were then applied to the already-made boxes, and the company's gamble paid off as the bundle became a consumer hit.