Xbox: Survival Billboard [video] [alternative version]

Credits & Description:

Campaign Title: Terms & Horrible, Horrible Conditions
Client: Microsoft
Media: Others
Brand: Microsoft
Country: United Kingdom
Activity: Others
Campaign: Survival Billboard
Agency: Mccann London
Media Agency: Mccann London
Agency: Mccann London / M:united
Pr Agency: Edelman, London
Production Company: Edelman, London
Agency city: London
Chief Creative Officer: Rob Doubal
Chief Creative Officer: Laurence Thomson
Creative Director: Sanjiv Mistry
Creative Director: Jamie Mietz
Integrated Creative Director: Chad Warner
Copywriter: Jim Nilsson
Copywriter: Sanjiv Mistry
Copywriter: Anja Mcguiness
Art Director: Jacob Bjordal
Art Director: Jamie Mietz
Designer: Colin Lee
Designer: Danny Elliot
Account Planner: Thomas Keane
Art Supervisor: Michael Thomason
Senior Project Manager: Clare Mann
Production Company Producer: Lois Newcombe
Production Company Producer: Chris Cartwright
Executive Producer: Tom Mcloughlin
Business Director: Sailesh Jani
Account Director: Aj Coyne
Account Manager: Charlotte Habin
Account Executive: Charlotte Walters
Studio Manager: Ellis Faint
Print Producer: Liam White
Editor: Andy Tusabe
Editor: Paul Jenkinson
Sound Engineer: Tim Sutton
Sound Engineer: Chris Gilbert
Artworker: Muhammad Qasim
Streaming: Attention Seekers
Sfx: Hothouse
Developer: Mrm
Event: Momentum
Pr Agency: Edelman
Media Agency: Emt
Head of Integrated Production: Sergio Lopez
To bring attention to the Tomb Raider reboot in a busy game launch period, Xbox turned an advertising channel into an entertainment channel. Survival Billboard – a billboard on which gamers stood in a test of Lara Croft-like grit, facing harsh weather controlled by the public via a livestream. Viewers gave up sleep to watch and support. It was oldest advertising medium reinvented as a gripping reality show. Results: 8 minutes average dwell time (vs. 8 seconds for regular billboards), 11000 concurrent viewers (22 hours straight), 3.5 million views, 32000 comments.
Campaign Description:
Xbox turned an advertising channel into an entertainment channel, and in so doing, put gamers in control of the ad. Survival Billboard was a billboard in central London on which eight gamers stood in a test of Lara Croft-like grit, endurance and inner strength, to win a trip inspired by the game. The contestants, who made up the billboard headline, faced blizzards, downpours, harsh wind and intense heat – all controlled digitally by the public via a live stream.
Execution:
Survival Billboard was a single billboard that reached the world, as the action taking place on it was live streamed on Twitch (the number 1 game streaming site), the Xbox dashboard, banner ads, digital OOH and a dedicated microsite. The public gave up on sleep to watch the billboard, to control the weather that the participants were enduring, as well as to support, discuss and speculate about alliances and romances. The winner lasted 22 grueling hours, yet In that one day, the oldest advertising medium was reinvented as a gripping, interactive reality show.
Outcome:
8 minutes average dwell time (vs. 8 seconds for a regular billboard)1000 weather votes per hour£3.8 million in earned media 11000 viewers for 22 hours straight3.5 million views 32000 comments in 22 hours
Strategy:
The aim was to target gamers who were otherwise distracted by the imminent launch of bigger games with bigger budgets, such as Fallout 4 and Star Wars Battlefront. We noticed that the outdoor ads for our competitors were all old-fashioned passive posters (despite gaming being an interactive medium). So our approach was to create a single, interactive experience that tapped into the gamer mentality of total control in order to increase engagement levels. In essence, the strategic approach was to treat an ad for gamers as a game in itself.
Synopsis:
Big video games, like big movies, launch with a huge outdoor presence. It’s become the battleground for new game launches. Yet most outdoor ads are glanced at for just 8 seconds. So how could Xbox get gamers to engage with the launch of the gritty new Tomb Raider reboot during the busiest game launch period in history?