Challenge

To celebrate the launch of Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint game, Ubisoft needed an experience that would immerse 11 global social media influencers into the game’s storyline. Empowering them to share their experiences with their thousands of followers, reaching an audience that would otherwise not have the game on their radar.

Insights

These were not your average gamers, they were lifestyle and fitness influencers, each with the own nuanced style and audience needs. So, we needed to use the narrative of the game to immerse them and their audiences, while allowing them to play to their own strengths on camera.

Solution

The success of this experience depended on outstanding visual storytelling, defining what the influencers needed to think, feel and do at every given touchpoint of the experience. We transformed the blank canvas of Holmbush Estate into an authentic actualisation of Auroa – the setting of the game – considering each element of the gamified environment, adding finer details and finishing touches that would deepen the immersive experience.

Staying true to Ghost Recon Breakpoint’s story was key to immersing the audience into the experience. The group was kitted up with full camouflage gear, dog tags and a weapon, before being put through their paces by real ex-special forces soldiers on medical and basic essential survival skills then sent away to complete fitness training drills.

The training camp transformed the influencers into Ghost soldiers through a mixture of immersive environments, theatrical engagement and intense training activities including hunting, axe throwing, archery, buddy carry, and a challenging assault course. All culminating in a final air-soft ‘battle’ where they tested their skills against the bad guys from the game, the Wolves!

The experience peaked with the appearance of the game’s star Jon Bernthal who spent 1 on 1 time connecting with each influencer. Before merging the physical and online gaming worlds with an exclusive opportunity to play a live version of the game in the gaming experience zone.

The volatile immersive experience was shared amongst the influencers channels achieving 1,748,256 YouTube views extending the game’s reach to a wider prospective audience ahead of the game's launch.

My Role

Creative Director – Creative Strategy, Ideation, Concept development, creative direction of a team of designers, artworkers and producers.