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Real Gamer
Driveway
Games Combining Licensing and Outdoor Fun
April 3, 2007
Innovative. Exciting. Dynamic. Ask Justin Greiwe for three words to describe his company Driveway Games, and he doesn’t hesitate. “Our charter is to make this genre of games as big and great as it can be,” says Greiwe.
Greiwe launched Driveway Games four years ago after noting the growing popularity of outdoor lawn activities like bocce ball and horse shoes. He was most intrigued by the fascination with Cincinnati Cornhole on college campuses across the Midwest. “I saw the potential to make the game as big as horseshoes,” says Greiwe.
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He also understood the impact of marketing on his idea. Greiwe secured a trademark for the name “Original Corn Toss Game”—which quickly proved appealing to retailers and consumers—and began looking into collegiate licensing. Currently, Driveway Games holds licenses with a dozen or so schools.
“We hope to add more licenses soon,” Greiwe says. “The NFL and NASCAR are at the top of our list, partly because both have great tailgating tie-ins.”
The same can be said of the Driveway Games product line. For 2007, in fact, the company is introducing 15 new items, including Washer Tossing, Bolo Tossing, swimming pool games and accessories such as a scorekeeper and a stadium seat with back support.
“Our focus remains recreational products,” says Greiwe, “but we’re finding a larger audience in tailgating. We have several other products in development.”
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That’s welcome news for Greiwe’s customer base. Driveway Games works with national retailers and independents alike. According to Greiwe, the company has done particularly well toy stores, hardware stores and pool and spa shops.
“We pride ourselves on being an innovator,” he says. “We take games like Corn Toss and offer more features and the best quality. We give consumers more bang for their buck.”
