ABOUT

Brief:
Establish the AAA status of Defiance, the new third-person-shooter-with-TV-show. Target core MMO and sci-fi fans as well as FPS console gamers to create a compelling 360° campaign for this groundbreaking transmedia experience.

Outcome:
To give this brand new IP cut-through with gamers we first teased the world, with dedicated assets focused around in-game weapons manufacturer Von Bach Industries and its employees - Ark Hunters. This engaged early adopters to sign up for Beta Testing. Core gamers quickly started to speculate about the relevance of alpha-numeric Arkfall Codes hidden in digital assets…

Defiance was eventually announced to the world with the release of an epic live action trailer and the hidden codes were explained to eager fans - sign up as an Ark Hunter and receive in-game perks in anticipation for the release of Defiance. A true social media integrated campaign encouraged gamers to explore and share campaign assets through the Arkfall Code mechanic, encouraging community-building and purchase, with all pre-order targets smashed.

The release of the Ark Hunter Chronicles, a series of motion comic episodes, drew gamers further into the world of Defiance, turning fanboys and early adopters into brand advocates. The Arkfall Code mechanic ensured that gamers would continue to revisit campaign assets to earn rewards long after release. At launch the video assets alone achieved over 8 million views.