Activision Blizzard (The Introduction)

Activision Blizzard is one of the world’s most successful standalone interactive entertainment and gaming corporations, headquartered in Santa Monica, California. Known for their professional gaming properties including Overwatch League™, the Call of Duty League™, Hearthstone® Masters, and the World of Warcraft® Arena World Championship, among others, Activision Blizzard’s platforms immerse players in new, unimagined worlds. Their vision includes being the most innovative, scalable, and valuable developer of global competitive entertainment by connecting and engaging the world. 

Crash Bandicoot (The Introduction)

The original and fan-favorite Crash Bandicoot was officially released in North America in 1996. The nostalgic game that started it all revolves around Dr. Neo Cortex, who plans to take over the world by genetically engineering animals to conduct his bidding, and the gamers’ ability to help Crash save the animals from the doctor’s plot. 

Crash forward to 2020. After numerous successful releases,  Activision Blizzard was gearing up to announce the fourth upgraded version: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. New abilities? Check. More playable characters? Yep. Alternate dimensions? Obviously. 

Time Trial Challenge (The Challenge)

The Emerging Franchises team at Activision Blizzard connected with one of our Account Executives to solve a challenge – How do they get in front of hard-to-impress streamer influencers by sending a swag kit, in turn, building hype for the release of Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time launch on Steam?

SB’s Account Executive, Nick Williams, was able to comprehend the importance and value of the loyal Crash Bandicoot fanbase, making the user experience of this merchandising brand strategy a key factor to a successful launch. 

Nick knew he needed to find a way to create a memorable unboxing experience for videogame streamers with a merchandising kit to launch an existing popular game on another platform. This is when he organized a strategy meeting with ScreenBroidery’s graphic design and marketing teams to bring this vision to life. 

The Gem Path (Strategy)

It was a race to the drawing board. What started as a quick analysis of the target market turned into a deep dive into rabbit hole after rabbit hole. We identified streaming gamers as our ideal audience, specifically 150 gaming influencers with a strong following on YouTube and Twitch. Our team trusted the stereotype for this audience to guide our theme. Let’s break it down.

What do streaming gamers love? Anything that fuels them during play. What qualifies as gamer fuel? Energy drinks, snacks, PIZZA. How can we make pizza a memorable experience for our loyal Crash Bandicoot fanbase? 

ScreenBroidery’s graphic design team began engineering a pizza box that was Crash Bandicoot-coded from inch to inch. Through trial, error, and continued ideation, ScreenBroidery and Activision Blizzard pieced together the Aku Aku Steam-In Pizza Shack Kit. Layered with countless Crash Bandicoot details and gaming references, we were able to create a merchandising brand kit for 150 gaming influencers worldwide. 

Our team owned and executed all product sourcing, design development, individualized kit fulfillment, and dropshipping. 

Aku Aku! (The Finished Product)

The Aku Aku Steam-In Pizza Shack Kit was housed in a Crash Bandicoot-branded pizza box. Once opened, there were four square boxes inside of the original box (think Russian doll style). Within each box, the influencer would receive the following:

• Aku Aku's Steam in Pizza Shack Delivery Shirt

• Crash Bandicoot Delivery Cap

• Crash Bandicoot Bluetooth Speaker

• Tech Charging Cord

• Dining Mat (Custom Gaming Pad)

The extra oomph to top it all off? A sealant sticker on the pizza box serving as the “Easter Egg.” Popular within the gaming industry, an Easter Egg is a secret feature placed inside a game that is usually hidden from the public eye until it is discovered by the players. We were able to design the sticker to resemble an order receipt, hinting at the release date of Crash Bandicoot 4 on Steam. 

Level Complete (The Results)

Never underestimate the power of sending unexpected merchandising brand kits to a loyal fan base, especially those within the tech industry. Following each special delivery across the globe, buzz and memorable unboxing experiences have continued to appear all over the digital landscape.

The key to this exposure? Find your audience, understand who has the biggest reach and influences them, understand your recipient interests, and create a memorable experience for them.

• Over 40 Online Publications: Medium: A New Pizza-Related Stunt Teases Some News Regarding Crash Bandicoot

• Publication Exposure To A Potential 400,000,000+ UMV

• YouTube & Social Media Unboxing Experiences: Unboxing Video

• Hype & Request For More Aku Aku Steam-In Pizza Deliveries

Crash Into Action (The CTA)

Let’s talk. 

The Reviewer (Client Testimonial)

“Thank you for your incredible work on this project! We are thrilled with the results and look forward to continuing to work with you.” 

Reid Broudy | Product Management Coordinator at Activision Blizzard