In February 2022, PlayStation launched his new opus of Horizon “Horizon Forbidden West” after the first opus “Horizon Zero Dawn” released in 2017.

In this video game, gamers are immersed in a post-apocalyptic world, which raises many ecological questions.

Brief & objectives : The client's brief was to design and create a digital activation, with the aim of creating awareness and social conversation around the game, by taking into account all the possible insights to be found in the game

A simple idea rooted in gaming practices while making players real actors in the fight against the climate emergency :

- Allow players to make an impact in the real world, by planting a forest with the PlayStation.

- A forest destined to still exist in 1000 years, the period in which the plot takes place.

- A good way to show that if we act now, humanity can avoid living in the post-apocalyptic situation of Horizon Forbidden West.

- All this while playing from their couch.

The 16-34 year olds are the main audience of PlayStation gamers.

We notice that it's a target really receptive to the climate issue : 16-25?? year olds are worried about climate change (59% very or extremely worried, 84% at least moderately worried).

So, to engage them in the Horizon Forbidden West universe, we decided to work on the central environnemental question of the game.

In an industry where many video games are launched, our problem was to build the game’s preference. So our strategy was to use our target audience's sensibility on climate change : we let them know that buying and playing the game also had a small impact on this issue.

A good way to engage gamers and to prove the PlayStation tagline « Play has no limit », even for the environment!

On release day, February 18th, a video was published on the PlayStation France social media network and explained how gamers could participate in this operation.

It couldn’t be easier for them, they have to play the game, unlock the “Entering The Forbidden West” trophy and share the trophy screenshot in the video game on Twitter with the mention @PlayStationFrance & #Aloy’sForest. Every 5 trophies unlocked, a tree is to be planted in the Aloy’s Forest, located in “Meurthe-et-Moselle department”

- Between February 18th & 28th: during 10 days, daily reminders with a gauge was published to follow the number of tree planted since the launch and to push up the gamers UGC & participation

- 28th February : end of the social media operation

In the next months : following of the plantation, many content of the forest development will be produced to show the impact of the gamers