Warner Brothers Interactive wanted to promote the release of their video game Shadow of Mordor by touting a unique feature that allows the Orcs—the game's notorious villains—to track and taunt you throughout the game. They needed a big digital idea to help Shadow of Mordor stand out in the crowded video game market. Our idea was to leverage the power and personality of the Orcs, so we had one take over the Shadow of Mordor Twitter feed for two days to call out fans, celebrities, and brands with custom tweets and real-time content.

First, we curated a list of celebrities and brands active on social media that we could interact with. Then, we crafted a series of tweets in a tone of voice that was dark and brutish, but still fun. We even produced original photography of a Hollywood-quality Orc to bring the taunting tweets to life. All the tweets and photos were released at carefully timed intervals over the two-day event with the hashtag #OrcTakeover. We also created real-time responses to celebrities, brands, and followers that engaged with us, as well as tweets commenting on current events that helped generate media buzz.

Our approach led to an overwhelming response: 4,500 hashtag uses, a 77% increase in follower growth, and an engagement rate 47% higher than the benchmark. In total, the activation generated 132 million impressions both on and off Twitter, resulting in a 1,952% return on investment.

First, we curated a list of celebrities and brands active on social media that we could interact with. Then, we crafted a series of tweets in a tone of voice that was dark and brutish, but still fun. We even produced original photography of a Hollywood-quality Orc to bring the taunting tweets to life. All the tweets and photos were released at carefully timed intervals over the two-day event with the hashtag #OrcTakeover. We also created real-time responses to celebrities, brands, and followers that engaged with us, as well as tweets commenting on current events that helped generate media buzz.

Our approach led to an overwhelming response of 4,500 hashtag uses, a 77% increase in followers, and an engagement rate 47% higher than the benchmark. The content itself resulted not only in increased engagement rates, but in predominantly positive engagements, giving us a 271% lift in positive sentiment. In total, the activation generated an estimated 132 million impressions both on- and off-channel, resulting in a 1,952% return on investment.