playstation
Sounding the Call-to-Adventure
Capabilities:
Communications
Conversions
Experience
Relationships
Transformations
The word ‘adventure’ is probably not the first one you reach for when thinking about everyday life. Unless, of course, you’re referring to the feat of taking public transportation during rush hour. But in the land of gaming, you can become a crime kingpin, get lost in intergalactic exploits and travel into the afterlife.
This is the story of how a rallying call-to-adventure won the console war for PlayStation.
#1
Console in the U.S. for five consecutive years.
PlayStation had fallen behind the competition into third place. With the launch of the PS4 in the wings, PlayStation wanted to get back on top of the podium.
Instead of listing off features and tech specs, we called a generation of gamers to the adventure.
We came up with one big idea that spoke to gamers’ hearts and heroism: Greatness Awaits.
It’s that spirit of ‘anything-is-possible-even-slaying-a-dragon-with-my-bare-hands’ that ran through everything we made for PlayStation over the next five years, online and off.
A host of blockbuster ads, a Facebook video that let gamers ‘enter’ and interact with the film, a massive mural outside the L.A. Convention Centre of game characters crossing the Delaware, intergalactic gaming treasures sent out to gamers in real life. Everything had that sweaty palms, thumbs-twitching-to-go, fire in your belly sense of anticipation.
So, despite competitors aggressively dropping their prices, PlayStation absolutely killed it — and had the most successful console launch in the brand’s history.