CLIENT: Activision Blizzard
DEPARTMENT 5 LLC:
CREATIVE PRODUCTION, DESIGN, EDITING, MOTION DESIGN, HTML5 ADS, RICH MEDIA ADS, LOCALIZATION
Our collaboration with Activision Blizzard stands as a testament to our agency’s capacity for delivering extraordinary results in the gaming industry. Having orchestrated over 160 ad campaigns and developed thousands of ads, our work has significantly contributed to the stellar performance of flagship titles such as Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV. Beyond these successes, our portfolio with Activision Blizzard encompasses extensive projects across World of Warcraft (WoW), WoW Classic, Overwatch, Diablo II, Diablo III, including numerous expansion packs, as well as promotional efforts for the Call of Duty League and Overwatch League. This partnership underscores our expertise in creating dynamic and engaging advertising solutions that captivate gamers worldwide and drive unparalleled engagement and sales for some of the most iconic franchises in the gaming universe.
We played a pivotal role in the blockbuster release of Diablo IV, designing, animating, and developing more than 100 captivating advertisements. Our strategic and creative efforts were key to the game’s astonishing $666 million in sales within the first six days of its launch, with revenues soaring past $1 billion in subsequent weeks. Diablo IV set a new record as Blizzard’s fastest-selling game ever.
Dept5 entered the futuristic world of Overwatch and embraced the mantle of Activision Blizzard’s comrade in arms. Our partnership paved the way for visually arresting Overwatch 2 campaigns that enraptured gamers around the globe. The amalgamation of cutting-edge animation, evocative storytelling, and precision-targeted engagement strategies conjured an Overwatch sensation.
The result? Records crumbled as Overwatch 2 amassed $100 million in a mere 90 days and rallied a legion of 35 million players within a single month!
Reinventing Legacy with Dept5.com –
The Unyielding Success of World of Warcraft
Introduction:
World of Warcraft (WoW), a legendary name in the realm of digital gaming, has been a cherished journey for millions of gamers worldwide since its launch in 2004. Despite the game’s age and the fierce competition in the gaming industry, Activision Blizzard needed to ensure that WoW continued to maintain its high-performance metrics. To achieve this, they engaged Dept5.com, a renowned advertising agency to bring a fresh perspective and innovative approach to the game’s promotion.
The Objective:
Dept5.com was entrusted with the goal to sustain and enhance WoW’s stellar sales, user engagement, and subscription numbers, despite the game’s age. The primary mission was to keep World of Warcraft feeling fresh and exciting for both new and existing players, ensuring they remained engaged and eagerly anticipated each new expansion.
The Approach:
To breathe new life into this iconic game, Dept5.com executed more than 50 advertising campaigns over the last 4 years. The promotions were skillfully crafted to accentuate the distinct attributes of WoW, the thrilling new elements introduced in each expansion, and the timeless allure of the game’s universe.
The Results:
The innovative advertising strategies deployed by Dept5.com led to remarkable outcomes in terms of WoW’s sales, revenue, and subscriptions from 2018 to 2023.
Successful Expansion Launches:
The advertising campaigns played a pivotal role in promoting WoW’s new expansion releases. Notably, the 2020 release of Shadowlands, supported by a highly impactful advertising campaign, became the most successful expansion launch, with 3.7 million units sold.
Stability in Players and Subscribers:
Dept5.com’s innovative campaigns significantly contributed to the retention and growth of the WoW player base. Despite being a 21-year-old game, WoW boasted an impressive 8.5 million monthly players in 2023, showcasing its enduring appeal. In addition, the game maintained a healthy number of subscribers, with an estimated 4.5 million in 2023.
Robust Revenue Growth:
Dept5.com’s efforts also translated into substantial revenue generation for WoW. From 2004 to 2022, WoW’s cumulative revenue soared above $14 billion, a testament to the successful promotional strategies that highlighted the game’s unique appeal and the value of its expanding content.
Conclusion:
Dept5.com’s collaboration with Activision Blizzard has played an instrumental role in rejuvenating World of Warcraft, proving that a game’s age doesn’t limit its potential for success. Through engaging, creative, and effective advertising strategies, Dept5.com managed to keep World of Warcraft a top choice for gamers, ensuring strong sales, robust revenue, and a thriving subscriber base. This case study embodies the power of strategic advertising in preserving the legacy of a product while injecting new vitality into its future.
Our dedication to advertising alchemy has earned Dept5 the unyielding allegiance of industry titans. As a vanguard of innovation, Dept5’s portfolio boasts over 600 groundbreaking global ad campaigns for multibillion-dollar behemoths.
At Dept5, we transcend the mundane and craft the extraordinary. With each collaboration, we commit to not just creating ad campaigns, but worlds within which imaginations thrive. Embark on a journey with Dept5 – Where Titans are Born!