2021 was one of the most competitive gaming launches in the last five years. With both Battlefield and a new Halo, Call of Duty needed to do something well beyond just buying traditional paid media in order to break through. They needed something that captured culture's attention and made all gamers forget about everything else releasing in the fall. They needed to create a buzz across and conversation social media that Call of Duty that kicked started the word of mouth marketing amongst players that is crucial to driving sales.

We set out to prove Call of Duty Vanguard's craft, storytelling and entertainment experience by creating a Hollywood-inspired premiere event that captured a different experience during each part of the evening. A live orchestra played along with one of the world’s biggest Twitch streamers displaying the game’s score and cinematic quality in an unforgettable style, a Verzuz battle captured the competitive fun that existed in the game’s multiplayer and the Migos concert that concluded the event cemented the game’s cultural influence and status.

The level of craft and attention to detail that went into creating this game - such as Oscar nominated cinematographer, Hoyte Van Hoytema, being enlisted to direct the game’s visuals and the London Symphony Orchestra creating the game’s score - matched that of Hollywood’s biggest movies. Our strategy leveraged the game’s strengths and we wanted to get people to appreciate the cinematic richness game play offered.

#2 trending topic on Twitter the night of the event

4.6M live stream views

11M live stream impressions

81M total impressions