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APG Creative Strategy Awards - Xbox'Halo 3 - believe' by McCann

Erickson

Xbox 'Halo 3 - believe' by McCann Erickson

S !!ary

Halo 3’s ‘Believe’ is a tale of planning working to ens re !e"ia an" creativeco!bine" across n !ero s c#annels to tell an epic story$

%#is epic story #as #elpe" bring t#e franc#ise to a new a "ience& in "oing so !akingHalo 3 t#e biggest entertain!ent la nc# of all ti!e$

s a bo"y of work t#is ca!paign s#ows s t#at t#e proliferation of !e"ia c#annels isnot a c#allenge for integration& b t an opport nity to tell a story across a bigger!arketing co!! nications canvas$

%#is paper tells #ow we #a" to exten" t#e appeal Halo beyon" a loyal #ar" core fan base in or"er to !ake Halo 3 t#e biggest entertain!ent la nc# of all ti!e$

(t tells t#e story of a ca!paign t#at broke in" stry conventions by rei!agining t#eco!petitive lan"scape it was operating in$ (t tells t#e story of a great creative i"eaexten"ing itself beyon" tra"itional !e"ia c#annels$

n" t#ankf lly t#is paper s#ows s t#e i!pact a great ca!paign can #ave on t#e salesof a pro" ct$ Halo 3 broke all entertain!ent in" stry recor"s wit# opening "ay salesof )*+!& !ore t#an ,, . t#at of /pi"er!an 3& t#e for!er recor" #ol"er$

Ca!"aign #ackgro nd

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Halo is a #ig#ly acclai!e" vi"eoga!e franc#ise fro! B ngie /t "ios an" Microsoft0a!e /t "ios$ (t portrays t#e efforts of t#e # !an race to resist "estr ction at t#e#an"s of alien forces$

%#e series was la nc#e" in 1 1 wit# Halo2 Co!bat Evolve"& a first person ‘s#oot

e! p’ fro! t#e perspective of s per sol"ier Master C#ief$ 1 + saw t#e la nc# ofHalo 1& w#ic# beca!e t#e !ost playe" ga!e on Xbox (4E& Xbox’s online ga!ing

property$

%#e ga!e #as gat#ere" a #ar" core following of fans over t#e years& knownaffectionately as t#e Halo 5ation$

%#e existence of t#e establis#e" loyal fans !eant we co l" g arantee Halo 3 wo l"sell well& b t t#is case st "y will "e!onstrate #ow we creative strategy to lift t#ega!e o t of its #ar" core silo an" into !ainstrea! pop lar c lt re$

Ca!"aign $b%ectives

%#e Halo 5ation are one of t#is franc#ises biggest strengt#s b t provi"e" s wit# aclassic !arketing c#allenge& a nee" to exten" t#e ga!e’s appeal beyon" o r loyal corea "ience$

6e #a" a clear b siness ob7ective of selling ,$8 !illion copies of Halo 3 acrossEME in t#e first year after la nc#$

9 r calc lations s#owe" s t#at t#e Halo 5ation wo l" acco nt for only :8. oftarget sales& leaving s wit# 3:8& copies of t#e ga!e still to sell$ 9 r firstob7ective was of t#e t!ost i!portance2

1. Attract an audience beyond the Halo Nation for Halo 3

6e were la nc#ing at a b sy ti!e in t#e !arket place& wit# lots of console ga!ela nc#es trying to co!pete wit# Halo 3$

(n t#is context we nee"e" to elevate Halo above o r tra"itional vi"eo ga!eco!petition an" refra!e o r co!petitive set$

9 r ai! was to position Halo 3 as a lan"!ark entertain!ent in" stry la nc#&co!peting against t#e /pi"er!en an" Caribbean ;irate’s of t#is worl"& not Mario an"ara Croft$

%#is t#inking le" to o r secon" ob7ective2

2. Make Halo 3 the biggest entertainment opening day of all-time, e ceeding the pre!ious global record set by "piderman 3 #ith $%&.'m( make Halo 3 a true cultural phenomenon

&owards a Strategic Plat or!

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Xbox nee"e" to reac# t#e people w#o "i"n’t like Halo& or "i"n’t care abo t Halo& or#a" never #ear" of Halo$

n" get t#e! to b y a copy$ (f we were going to "o t#is& t#e conventions of t#ecategory were irrelevant - lo " explosions& po n"ing ! sic& ga!eplay footage& g ns&

bloo" an" gore wo l" !erely reinforce t#e perceptions people #a" of Halo$

6e nee"e" to rewrite t#e r les of a vi"eo ga!e ca!paign an" s#ow !ore of t#ec#aracteristics of t#e !ovies we wis#e" to co!pete against$

Approach(

,$ 6e so g#t to e!brace t#e Halo 5ation’s love of all t#ings Halo& < n"erstan" w#yt#ey #a" s c# passion for t#is franc#ise$

1$ 6e interrogate" t#is passion to see if it co l" be sprea" to a wi"er a "ience& oncewe were to start talking abo t Halo in a "ifferent way$

)hat #e learned(

/peaking to Halo fans t#ey tol" s t#at Master C#ief was a #eroic fig re& an" t#e storyof t#is #ero was t#e !ain reason t#ey wante" to play t#is ga!e$

He #as been t#e star of eac# instal!ent an" is Halo’s e= ivalent of ;eter ;arker orHarry ;otter$$$a central fig re t#e a "ience can rally aro n"$

B t$$$(n ca!paign's for t#e previo s Halo ga!es t#e action an" special effects #ave been key selling points$ Master C#ief was portraye" as a lea" c#aracter in a vi"eoga!e& b t Halo fans portraye" #i! as t#e #ero of a story$

"o #e decided(

%#is ca!paign nee"e" to foc s on o r ‘!ovie lea"’$ Master C#ief represents t#e verytenets of a #ero > bravery& sacrifice& " ty& an" selflessness$

%#ese t#e!es are consistent wit# t#e = alities of real #eroes& an" classic storytellingt#ro g#o t #istory > t#ey are niversal an" ti!eless t#e!es t#at speak to all of s$

(nstea" of telling people abo t t#e action t#ey were going to experience& like !ostvi"eo ga!es& we nee"e" to e!otionally engage t#e! is t#is potentially epic story t#att#ey co l" co!e an" play a part in t#e!selves$

A Strategic Plat or!

Master *hief the Hero

%#is t#o g#t is base" on a clear pro" ct tr t#& an" enable" s to flip all of o ra "iences’ perceptions of Halo& t rning it fro! a ‘s#oot e! p’ into an epic story for

t#e ages$

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(nternet as a #o!e for f rt#er ric#& engaging long for!at fil!s an" interactive content$

Experiential& in t#e streets& a!bient work to allow cons !ers to engage wit# an"spen" ti!e wit# Believe& an" to tr ly e!be" it into pop lar c lt re$

ll of t#e work ca!e fro! t#e sa!e core concept& b t bro g#t it to life in very"ifferent ways$ 5ot only "i" t#e ca!paign e!brace ! ltiple to c# points& it se"t#ese to c# points to expan" on t#e core concept& not si!ply repeat it$

%#is a""e" "ept# to t#e ca!paign an" !a"e t#e core story all t#e ric#er$

"o, #hat did #e do/

%#e centrepiece of t#e ca!paign was a %4 a" t#at "ra!atically intro" ce" t#ea "ience to t#e ! se !$

%#e a" feat res t#e Ao#n ,,: !on !ent& a #an" crafte" recreation of a #istoric battlein w#ic# Master C#ief #eroically le" #is troops to victory$

/ pporting t#is were !ore %4 an" viral fil!s feat ring war veteran testi!onials&expan"ing on t#e Master C#ief folk lore an" "eveloping t#e concept of t#e ! se !$

%#e story also nfol"e" on t#e street w#ere stat es were erecte" in #ono r of t#e #eroMaster C#ief& ! rals were painte" an" street pla= es were "otte" aro n" E ropeco!!e!orating fictional battlegro n" sites$

(n t#e a war p#otograp#y ex#ibition was #el" in cine!as& s#owcasing t#e work offictional war p#otograp#er Aake Co rage$ Dans stole !any of t#e pict re’s an" so!ewere even fo n" for sale on e-bay$

hase 3 A#areness uild 0 aunch Hype

6it# t#e notion of Master C#ief as #ero now establis#e"& an" a legion of cons !ersrea"y to Believe& t#e final p#ase before la nc# was foc se" on !axi!ising b @@&noise < #ype in !arket in t#e key la nc# win"ow at retail$

!assive awareness p s#$ ?riving reac# < fre= ency in a co!presse" ti!e perio"$

6e t# s !ove" o t of long for!at 4 !e"ia& an" into o t"oor& online an" print& toroa"block t#e weeks in t#e r n p to t#e title #itting s#elves on /epte!ber 1 t#$

/i! ltaneo sly& a # ge ;F < events p s# "rove nprece"ente" Gfor a vi"eoga!ee"itorial col !n inc#es& t#ro g#o t !ainstrea! as well as specialist press& an"ens re" t#at t#e w#ole worl" was excite" abo t t#e Halo 3 la nc#$

9n t#e nig#t of t#e 18t# /epte!ber Gt#e "ay before la nc#& we #el" celebrity fil!-style pre!iere parties& linke" over Xbox (4E < strea!ing on xbox$co!$

%#e ;F possibilities of t#is activity far o treac#e" anyt#ing in t#e category to "ate or

since > 8 key lifestyle < cons !er tec#nology 7o rnalists across EME generate"over + !illion in"ivi" al i!pressions in t#e region$

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Heroic )es lts

Fecalling t#e 1 ob7ectives for t#e ca!paign2

,$ ttract an a "ience beyon" t#e Halo 5ation for Halo 31$ Create a tr e c lt ral p#eno!enon by breaking global first "ay reven es for allentertain!ent categories

6e s ccee"e" in bot# tasks$

Beyon" t#e Halo 5ation

Dro! analysis of t#e Halo 1 player fanbase& we pre"icte" t#at t#e Halo 5ation wo l"acco nt for ,$1 !illion nit sales across EME in t#e first year after release$

%#e Halo 5ation as #ar"core fans wo l" of co rse be expecte" to p rc#ase al!osti!!e"iately pon t#e title’s release > so close to t#at ,$1 !illion we were expectingto #ave p rc#ase" by C#rist!as$ %#e first #int of o r s ccess was w#en pre-or"ersfor t#e ga!e passe" , !illion "eposits across EME & before t#e ga!e was even ons#elves$

By C#rist!as& EME to-"ate sales were at ,$* !illion > a f ll 1 . a#ea" of t#e totalyear’s target$

not#er & Halo Believers$ 6e nee"e" to attract 3:8& new Halo fans toac#ieve o r targets > b t we #a" a""e" anot#er & new !e!bers to it wit# o rnew portrayal of Master C#ief as a #ero to Believe in$

C lt ral ;#eno!enon

%#e !ission was to ac#ieve t#e #ig#est opening "ay sales ever recor"e"$

%#e co!petition were /pi"er!an 3 Gfil! & an" Harry ;otter an" t#e ?eat#ly HallowsGbook& 7 st be#in" /pi"er!an 3 in total reven e fig res $

Master C#ief’s new ar!y of Believers were #owever !ore t#an p to t#e task$

I 0lobal opening "ay sales were recor"e" at )*+!$ %#is !a"e it easily t#e largest 1+#o rs of reven e in entertain!ent #istory& at ,, . of t#e ol" /pi"er!an 3 recor"$

I By t#e en" of t#e first week& ),8 ! #a" been collecte" in total > anot#er recor"$

Xbox "on’t se tracking researc# on console title a"vertising& so we "on’t #avetra"itional !eas res t#at s#ow #ow i!pactf l o r ca!paign was$ ckily t#e virals ccess of o r core activity provi"es s wit# evi"ence t#at t#e ca!paign was pop laran" engaging$

/tarry /tarry 5ig#t o r pre la nc# ca!paign #as been watc#e" over , !illion ti!esacross sites s c# as Jo % be$

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%#e ;#ase 1 testi!onial viral fil!s were viewe" over : !illion ti!es in t#eir ,st 1+#o rs of release& w#ilst t#e M se ! of H !anity centrepiece television spot #as beenviewe" over 1 !illion ti!es online$

+he elie!e campaign catapulted Halo 3 from an ordinary !ideo game into a#orld#ide cultural phenomenon due to its ability to build an emotional rapport #iththe audience. +he inno!ati!e stream of interacti!e +4, )eb and cinemaad!ertisements #as an inspired approach that successfully attracted an audiencebeyond the typical gamer.M FJ 6 F (C & CE9 9D %HE 95E C B

t#ors2 C#ris 0allery& %o! Fot#enberg& 5ick Co#en& Aake Co rage