ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS: THE REAL-WORLD TRAILER
Title | ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS: THE REAL-WORLD TRAILER |
Brand | MICROSOFT |
Product/Service | XBOX / DEAD RISING 4 |
Category |
A12. Innovation in Branded Content |
Entrant
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Idea Creation
|
McCANN LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Media Placement
|
CARAT London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
PR
|
EDELMAN London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production
|
CRAFT WORLDWIDE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 2
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MOMENTUM WORLDWIDE London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 3
|
HELIX 3D London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Production 4
|
FLUX BROADCAST London, UNITED KINGDOM
|
Credits
Rob Doubal |
McCann London |
Chief Creative Officer |
Laurence Thomson |
McCann London |
Chief Creative Officer |
Sanjiv Mistry |
McCann London |
EMEA Creative Director |
Jamie Mietz |
McCann London |
EMEA Creative Director |
Jim Nilsson |
McCann London |
Copywriter |
Jacob Björdal |
McCann London |
Art Director |
Clare Mann |
McCann London |
Project Director |
Paul Gillespie |
McCann London |
Senior Project Manager |
Sergio Lopez |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Head of Integrated Production |
Aaron Raybe |
Momentum Worldwide, London |
Senior Event Producer |
Duncan Groves |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Senior Producer |
Chris Cartwright |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Senior Producer |
Ruth Oates |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Production Manager |
Dan Howarth |
McCann London |
Head of Art |
Sam White |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Video Director |
Charlotte Walters |
McCann London |
Planner |
Rob Smith |
McCann London |
Executive Vice President |
Sailesh Jani |
McCann London |
Regional Business Director |
Tom Oliver |
McCann London |
Account Director |
Isobel Thomas |
McCann London |
Account Manager |
Sophie Grierson |
McCann London |
Account Executive |
Alice Parker |
McCann London |
Account Executive |
Louise Ringrose |
McCann London |
Director of Communications |
Paul Jenkinson |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Editor |
Francis Harris |
Craft Worldwide, London |
Editor |
Carl Warren |
McCann London |
Designer |
Simon Thomas |
McCann London |
Designer |
Dan Fields |
McCann London |
Designer |
Michael Bow |
McCann London |
Designer |
The Campaign
Rather than put their trailer on TV, Xbox reimagined what a trailer could be. ‘Zombie Christmas’ was a trailer made entirely of Christmas lights, a popular UK festive tradition. It was the first time a trailer (usually video) was instead built as a physical installation that could be walked through to see the story unfold. This content wasn’t on TV or YouTube. It only existed outdoors, in lights. Yet with VR and 360° video, the whole world could walk through it to experience the story.
Creative Execution
The real-world trailer consisted of a series of animated Christmas light panels suspended, over the course of 11 days, above a busy shopping plaza in central London.
The on-switch was a robotic zombie hand, controlled by gamers via livestreams on Facebook Live, Twitch and Beam. Over 500000 gamers switched on the trailer, revealing a new story about zombies, powerful weapons and the return of the hero from game 1 in the franchise.
TimeOut London listed it, and thousands visited in person. Yet the whole world could walk through this neighbourhood’s unusual Christmas lights thanks to VR and 360 degree video.
Zombie Christmas was not an ad. It was a gory yet festive destination.
1900% above average Facebook response rate.
Over 500000 gamers worked together to switch on the trailer.
Over 4 million walked through it. (target: 1 million)
Game sales exceeded target by 34%.
Over 18000 social comments.
Christmas lights are a much-loved UK Christmas tradition. People travel from far away to watch the switching on of the lights.
By creating a game trailer that only existed outdoors, in the form of a London neighbourhood’s Christmas lights, Xbox created something that went beyond advertising. It was a destination even listed in TimeOut.
People didn’t skip this trailer. They walked through it, to see a new story and new details about the game be told through the medium of lights.
While most brands interrupt the festive season, Xbox became part of it by building something worth visiting.
To cut through the Christmas clutter, Xbox’s strategy was to not interrupt the festive season, like all its competitors, but to add to it. To create something that wasn’t pushed into people’s homes, but rather something that people would want to come and see.