‘Mamma Mia!’ composes first Alexa game to support a movie soundtrack

The rundown: Capitol Records, working with audience participation platform Telescope, introduced the Mamma Mia! Finish The Lyric Game, the first game-based Alexa skill to support a movie soundtrack, according to a press release provided to Marketing Dive.

To show off their familiarity with Abba's music, users open the skill, listen to songs and fill in the missing lyrics to advance. The game features well-known Abba songs from both the "Mamma Mia!" and "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" soundtracks, including "Waterloo," "Dancing Queen" and more. Seven levels featuring four songs each are available at launch. Fans are also able to purchase the soundtrack directly from the skill via voice.

Credit: Capitol Records

 The results: While there is no shortage of brands releasing voice-activated Alexa skills — or mini interfaces — this one feels like a strong pairing that could drive results for Amazon, Abba, Capitol Records and Universal Pictures, which released the film.

Abba songs have a reputation for being cheesy fun that are easy to sing along to, something the "Mamma Mia!" films — as well as the stage show they are based on — exploit for entertainment purposes. The films may not be blockbusters, but  they have enduring appeal , as do the songs, with  the soundtrack for the sequel recently peaking  at no. 3 on the Billboard Top 200.  Making it easy for fans to bring the fun into their homes via a game helps Amazon reinforce that Alexa offers a range of voice-activated experiences beyond checking the headlines, including music. The e-commerce giant is competing against Google, Apple and others for dominance in smart speakers and streaming music.

A game has the potential to drive repeat engagement which, in turn, could lead to sales for digital copies of the films and the soundtrack. The integration of soundtrack purchasing with the skill could expose consumers to  voice-activated commerce  — something that hasn't taken off yet. If they have a positive experience, they may be more likely to purchase via a digital assistant again in the future.

The article was originally published on  marketingdive.com.