Shell introduced V-Power NiTRO+ in 2023, a groundbreaking formulation of their premium fuel designed to deliver enhanced performance while maintaining essential protective benefits. In a post-COVID market recovery, convincing consumers that not all premium fuels are created equal posed a formidable challenge. Faced with a saturated market, our task was to redefine perceptions of premium fuels for Premium Road Warriors, our target audience.

Navigating uncharted territories for an energy provider, we sought to infuse a century-old company with a fresh, emotionally resonant appeal. Our objective: stir excitement for SVPN+ by capturing the essence of the product benefit "unbound performance" in an experiential way that could live in the digital and real world.

Shell Ultimate Road Trips, fueled by SVPN+, enabled people to travel to places they had never been before, the newest frontier: The Metaverse.

For years, Shell has been enabling people to travel to the most incredible places in the real world, but to promote V-Power NiTRO+, Shell wanted to enable people to travel to places they had never been before.

Shell Ultimate Road Trips brought 6 of the best Fortnite map creators together to design 6 of the most beautiful and challenging terrains, all in 1 gameplay map; unlike anything done in Fortnite Creative.

At the center of the game is a Shell station, where V-Power NiTRO+ levels up your car. Gamers had to break the performance robbing sediments and drive through ramps which propelled them to the most instagrammable places in the metaverse.

The goal? Share in-game screenshots from the most stunning locations, for a chance to win the ultimate road trip in the real world.

Gaming was an opportunity to reach a new audience (64% of Fortnite gamers are 18+) and communicate the benefits of our new fuel in an experiential way. Our audience (Premium Road Warriors) have a deep connection with gaming—a language they not only love, but live, dedicating 16 hours per week to the virtual realm—where the pursuit of winning and performance mirrors their real-world aspirations.

We also discovered a particular behavior in gamers, they enjoy taking screenshots of the virtual worlds they visit and then share them on social, the same way one would when traveling in the physical world. 84% of Americans surveyed said they take road trips, and gaming much like traveling, is about escapism, adventure and discovery.

During Road Trip season we set out to bridge a digital and a real-world experience.

First, we brought 6 of the best Fortnite map creators together to design 6 of the most beautiful road trips, all in 1 gameplay map.

Each road trip was painstakingly designed to make them unforgettable. From a mysterious city scape, stunning beach and wonderous desert experience to a magical forest, majestic mountain and an interstellar road trip.

Each one more challenging than the next.

The game creators then promoted their maps on their social channels, engaging with gamers on YouTube and Twitch livestreams.

Behind-the-scenes videos showcased how the map creators ideated and built their different terrains.

At TwitchCon, we held an all-day event where gamers could compete on stage and online for prizes.

Gamers shared in-game screenshots from the most stunning locations, for a chance to win the ultimate road trip in the real world.

Results went well beyond projections with data revealing that gamers loved discovering the different road trips and challenging themselves on the different terrains.

Playtime average was 20 minutes (92% higher than the industry benchmark).

New gamers visited our map consistently, with a 75% increase in Daily Unique Player (compared to benchmark).

The brand saw 38% uplift in purchase intent, confirming what we set out to do, redefine the perceptions of Shell’s premium product.