As the world readies itself for the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the first in a sequel trilogy set in a galaxy far, far away, gamers are feeling the force for the new Star Wars: Battlefront game. The game will be officially available on November 17, but until then wannabe Sith and Jedi can quench their thirsts for the force with this epic live action trailer, created by the San Francisco-based agency Heat and directed by Dante Ariola (from MJZ), with some impressive VFX from The Mill. Featuring geek goddess and adland favourite Anna Kendrick pulling off her very best Obi Wan Kenobi impression, “Become More Powerful” was launched on YouTube earlier this week, with a broadcast push attached to the release.
The long form trailer is part of a long campaign featuring endless build-ups, teasers, and digital components all surrounding the release of Star Wars Battlefront, which recently finished its beta testing phase in preparation for its launch next week. The spot features a series of everyday people (alongside the celebrity fan) disappearing from everyday life to “become more powerful” and enter the game’s universe , and is a genuinely goose-bump inducing piece of work (helped in no small part by the classic soundtrack), which should get even the most casual gamers and Star Wars fans psyched for November 17.
Heat's new trailer for Star Wars Battlefront features adland favourite Anna Kendrick pulling off her very best Obi Wan Kenobi impression
The target audience for this spot is effectively anyone who has ever dreamed of wielding a lightsaber or piloting an X Wing (so everyone then), so the agency obviously went for a broad range of nationalities, genders, ethnicities and age groups, with Kendrick closing out the spot by rocking Kenobi-chic in her dressing gown and reciting the infamous lines of Luke Skywalker's mentor. The agency hopes that the spot will appeal to Star Wars fans, pop culture aficionados, gaming fans, and fans of the franchise who have waited 10 long years for the next Battlefront game to come out.
The marketing campaign for the game, which follows the Playstation ad from BBH New York, comprises a number of different aspects, including: EA’s release of the Battlefront Beta (EA logged in 9.5 million participants for the beta release of the game), PlayStation’s Battlefront holiday spot, the “Be More Powerful” long-form piece, and the upcoming pre-roll series where fans can watch some of the industry's biggest gamers and celebrity fans give colour commentary while playing Star Wars Battlefront. This project is part of a long standing relationship between EA and Heat, which has been EA Sports’ AOR for over 7 years and in that time has worked on the Madden NFL franchise, NBA 2K campaigns, and NHL campaigns. Because of their great relationship with the company, Heat has parlayed their status with EA to work on a number of big name franchises including Plants vs. Zombies, Titanfall, Need for Speed, and now, Star Wars!
The spot was directed by MJZ's Dante Ariola, with some impressive VFX from The Mill
Heat associated creative director and copywriter Ryan Hartsfield, said: “We wanted to send a message to fans that they’re going to get to do what they always wanted to do—disappear into a world they love and fight these incredible battles they’ve only imagined. We wanted a celebrity fan to deliver the Obi-Wan quote and be the big transition to gameplay. Anna is a legitimate superfan who also happens to resonate with a younger audience. We also like the spin of a woman delivering that famous quote. It speaks to the diversity of the fan base. Star Wars is for everyone. She was perfect.”
Star Wars: Battlefront Live Action Trailer – Become More Powerful
