how masterlock made padlock shopping fun
gamification on packaging
My girlfriend and I recently bought a house. It doesn’t have a white picket fence - but a nicely fenced-in backyard …
And since I'm now the proud owner of a house with a fenced-in back yard, my dad handed down his old riding lawn mower so I could keep the lawn in check.
I even have a shed to keep the lawn mower safe and dry.
The only issue? Neither the shed nor the gate had locks to keep my lawn mower safe.
So, I made the thrilling decision to head to The Home Depot for two padlocks… one for my fence and one for my shed.
The padlock aisle is about as glamorous as you’d imagine…
Rows of cardboard packaging, all under lovely fluorescent lights. For someone prone to overthinking, it’s easy to spend far too much time comparing options that all look the same.
But one lock caught my eye. It didn't have flashy packaging, and it wasn't even in the premium shelf space.
What it did have was a security level rating system.
Suddenly, padlock shopping felt less like hardware procurement and more like a game.
I picked up a Level 5 lock - that I would eventually buy. But not before tracking down the full set, from Level 1 to Level 10. For the record, Level 4 is the entry point, Level 9 is the top end of what you’ll find in stores, and Level 10 appears reserved for high-security safes, Fort Knox, and The Federal Reserve.
It’s not often you’d describe buying a padlock as fun, maybe I still wouldn't…
but there was something satisfying about seeing each lock become progressively more beefy, serious, and badass as the numbers climbed. Like watching a video game character level up.
It reminded me of my childhood - when I would waste countless hours leveling up my pokemon and with each evolution they would get stronger and more badass.
Anyways.
I bought two Level 5 locks… The lawn mower hasn’t gone missing, and I had a great time buying them at The Home Depot.
For good measure, here’s an AI-generated interpretation of what a “Level 10 MasterLock” might look like—because who doesn’t want to imagine the boss of all padlocks?
