In the days before the Xfinity rebrand, Comcast had a serious likability issue. In an attempt to soften the brand and win over customers, the agency introduced Comcast Town—a whimsical, animated world featured in national TV spots where happy people lived fun lives powered by Comcast services. It was friendly. It was cheerful. And it was, at its core, a metaphor.

We were asked to make a few web banners to support the campaign. Instead, we asked a different question: What if people could actually live in this town?

People don’t connect with products—they connect with experiences. And the more interactive, personal, and shareable those experiences are, the more powerful the connection becomes. Comcast didn’t just need to tell people it was changing—it needed to let them live it.

We created a fully interactive microsite where users could move into Comcast Town. They could design their own apartments with hundreds of playful, customizable items, explore a lively map full of Easter eggs and mini-games, and visit friends’ apartments across the neighborhood.

And because this was still the early days of social media, we went further: Comcast Town became the first website ever to integrate Facebook Connect, seamlessly syncing players’ in-game lives with their real profiles and friends.

The response was incredible. The site pulled in over 1 million unique visitors, and across online forums and Twitter, the tone around the brand actually started to shift. People were having fun. People were… liking Comcast. Customers, critics, and casual users all started to see the company in a new light—all because they were invited to play in Comcast Town.