PlayStation
“Own The Show” / Influencer-Led Title Launch
In today’s gaming landscape, social media drives pre-download research. For PlayStation’s biggest release in three years, our challenge was clear: disrupt the segment, drive reappraisal, and meet Sony’s ambitious sales goals—without a traditional media budget. For the first time, PlayStation relied solely on owned and earned media.
Through social listening, we identified an emerging influencer, Fernando Tatis Jr., just before his breakout. His bold style shaped the campaign, with a live-streamed announcement on our channels positioning him as a co-creator, not just a spokesperson.
The results were game-changing: Sony’s biggest release day ever, a 31% YoY increase in downloads, and a 27% increase in in-game purchases.
A live-streamed reveal featuring Tatis Jr. as our partner launched the game with an unexpected twist. A strategically orchestrated 'leak' on Reddit before the official launch event further fueled excitement among fans.
We launched the franchise on TV with the spot above. We then produced a series of low-cost 'how-to' films (staring a puppet version of Tatis Jr. introducing the game's exciting new features. How-to films are among the most consumed content on YouTube. This content went viral and leading to over 150 million PR impressions, and the most downloads of a new release in three years.
We also created a comprehensive set of marketing materials, encompassing posters, cover art, and more. This content swiftly went viral, making its way onto eBay and being enthusiastically recreated and shared on social media by fans of the game.
