| Title | SQUADVERTISER |
| Brand | MICROSOFT |
| Product/Service | XBOX / HALO |
| Category |
E01. Use of Integrated Media |
|
Entrant
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Idea Creation
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Media Placement
|
EMT/DENTSU AEGIS London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
PR
|
EDELMAN London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Additional Company
|
MOMENTUM WORLDWIDE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
|
Additional Company 2
|
MRM METEORITE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
| Rob Doubal |
McCann London |
Co-President & Chief Creative Officer |
| Laurence Thomson |
McCann London |
Co-President & Chief Creative Officer |
| Sanjiv Mistry |
McCann London |
EMEA Creative Director |
| Jamie Mietz |
McCann London |
EMEA Creative Director |
| Chad Warner |
McCann London |
Integrated Creative Director |
| Jim Nilsson |
McCann London |
Creative |
| Jacob Björdal |
McCann London |
Creative |
| Sergio Lopez |
McCann London |
Head of Integrated Production |
| Michael Thomason |
McCann London |
Head of Art |
| Colin Lee |
McCann London |
Digital Designer |
| Colin Lee |
McCann London |
Digital Designer |
| Danny Elliot |
McCann London |
Designer |
| Thomas Keane |
McCann London |
Planner |
| Clare Mann |
McCann London |
Senior Project Manager |
| Lois Newcombe |
McCann/Craft |
Producer |
| Sailesh Jani |
McCann London |
Business Director |
| AJ Coyne |
McCann London |
Account Director |
| Tom Oliver |
McCann London |
Account Manager |
| Charlotte Walters |
McCann London |
Account Executive |
| Ellis Faint |
McCann/Craft |
Studio Manager |
| Liam White |
McCann/Craft |
Print Producer |
| Robert Freeman |
McCann/Craft |
Artworker |
| Rami Noumaan |
McCann London |
Account Executive |
| Alice Parker |
McCann London |
Account Executive |
| John Martin |
McCann/Craft |
Studio Imaging Director |
| Amelie DeRoche |
McCann/Craft |
Artworker |
| Andrei Andreescu |
McCann London |
Creative Tech Lead |
The Campaign
Squadvertiser. It’s Halo meets HR. Rather than advertising Halo, Xbox launched a digital tool that let teams advertise for new teammates. With Squadvertiser they could create customised recruitment ads, specifying precisely the candidate they were targeting. These ran on Xbox’s own billboards, banners and print to get teams’ needs in front of a wide audience of potential recruits.
Creative Execution
Squadvertiser consisted of two main sections.
One section was an ad creator, which allowed teams in need of new players to create customized recruitment ads, which could then be shared on social platforms or be distributed on Xbox’s own media spaces, such as billboards, banners, magazine and newspaper ads, which were too expensive for gamers to afford themselves.
The other section was a job board, on which unemployed players could search for Halo jobs matching their skill sets, and then apply directly to the team.
For the first time, Halo gamers could ‘hire’ who they wanted, forming lasting friendships in the process, leading to more Halo being played.
Squadvertiser is used by 9000 gamers daily
Ads have a 17% response rate
Halo 5 became the most-played game on Xbox Live
Squadvertiser was about the giving of expensive media space to those who needed it most.
Xbox didn’t use their expensive media buys, from billboards to banners ads, to advertise Halo. Instead, Xbox gave their spaces to Halo teams so that the players could advertise for new teammates.
For a big brand like Xbox, it was this brave media strategy of selflessness that gave Squadvertiser (essentially a digital utility) its power to make a difference.
Insights, Strategy and the Idea
The issue at hand was that the target audience was faced with an unsatisfactory multiplayer experience.
So rather than advertise the product (Halo), our strategic approach was to create something that would make the product better.