Residents and visitors can roll the dice to discover iconic works of art, famous locations, and even be elected mayor in a new Avondale-themed Monopoly game.
“Monopoly games associated with cities are not unusual…(but) they're not really specific to cities,” said Pia Simelli, Avondale's director of marketing and public relations.
“These are the kind of templates that game designers come up with, and there were templates for Avondale, but the city wasn't involved in their creation. So we looked at the history and presence of Avondale. We wanted to create a unique custom board that reflected both and was really Avondale specific.”
Discover Avondale-opoly was created as a collaboration between the city's marketing and public relations department and Late for the Sky LLC. Shimeri said the game board was designed by Krista Wilson, one of Avondale's senior graphic designers.
“She custom drew many of the icons on the game board,” Simelli said.
“When you open the box and open the game, you'll be faced with an explosion of color and a full display of truly iconic landmarks unique to Avondale.”
These landmarks include BLVD, American Sports Center, Randy McDaniel Sports Complex, and Phoenix Raceway.
Simeri said the process from creating the product to hitting shelves took only four months. Companies were left behind because the goal was to have a forever shelf life.
The Discover Avondale-opoly board and icons were created by Christa Wilson, senior graphic designer in Avondale's marketing and public relations department.
“Some of the things that are definitely eye-catching are the big heart sculptures on Avondale Boulevard. …Of course, you can also see the Sam Garcia Library in Old Town,” Ms. Simelli said.
“Another feature of Old Town is the water tower on Western Avenue. Other fun spots on the board include the Avondale Senior Center. …The Goodyear Farms Historic Cemetery is a big part of our history, too. So if you live in Avondale or have ever visited Avondale, there's a lot that you'll definitely recognize.”
The city's marketing team brainstormed what would make the city unique, officials and residents said.
“The quality of life in the park is huge for our young community, so we wanted to make sure we included that,” Simelli said.
“Nature is also a big part of our community, so we included the Tres Rios area. There are three rivers in Avondale. We are the only city in Arizona where three rivers converge. … So there were definitely a lot of factors that went into choosing who went on to the board.”
Discover Avondale-opoly is available for purchase at the Avondale Visitor and Conference Center for $20.
Shimeri said the board game is affordable and the perfect gift.
“If you have family members who are from Avondale and may not be home, this is a great gift for them,” Shimeli said. “This is a great token for real estate agents, for example as a welcome gift to a family moving to Avondale or someone who loves the area.”
