The Campaign

Our solution was a boutique, gaming-themed sleepover experience that would give fans unhindered access to the Xbox One X, days before its official release, with the natural beauty of Sydney as the photogenic backdrop. While the easy way would have been to host our sleepover fan experience at an existing venue, we knew originality would be highly regarded by Xbox fans and our intended global audience – so we built the Xbox Stay N’ Play from the ground up in a striking location. Giving Sydney equal star billing rights with our product was key in generating spectacular imagery that would earn column inches and spread globally among the gaming community.

The Brief

The total budget for Xbox Stay N’ Play was AU$339,000 which included PR fees, event execution, technology, content capture and miscellaneous expenses. Full breakdown below: • PR fees - $42,000 • Event execution - $262,000 • Technology/AV - $17,000 • Content creation - $7,000 • Other miscellaneous expenses - $11,000

Creative Execution

The Xbox Stay N’ Play pop-up hotel was situated in front of the iconic Sydney skyline in Pirrama Park, Pyrmont, with the first-of-its-kind establishment opening its doors from Friday 3rd November 2017 until Sunday 5th. It consisted of four private and bookable suites (each themed after an Xbox One X enhanced title) and an open-play lobby, allowing fans to experience the true power of Xbox One X in a unique and controlled environment. Each private suite could be booked for overnight accommodation and included 4K HDR televisions for super-sharp and smooth gameplay, Dolby Atmos-enabled headsets for cinema quality audio and a full selection of Xbox One X enhanced games. Bookings were accepted online on a first-come, first-served basis. Visitors without a booking could experience the Xbox One X in the open play lobby.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

The Stay N’ Play booked out within three hours, demonstrating a high level of community engagement. Despite taking place on Sydney’s wettest weekend in recent history, more than 600 people visited Stay N’ Play to get hands-on with Xbox One X. The activity generated over 310 pieces of top media coverage globally during the pre-order window. All articles included key messaging around the launch of the Xbox One X. Combined potential media reach of 150 million people, driven by purely earned media opportunities. Owned social content surrounding activation reached over 407,000 fans, sparking more than 5,000 engagements. On average, Facebook posts performed 48% better than regular organic posts. This included a 23% increase in total engagement on regular paid and organic posts. Influencer content captured at the Stay N’ Play has been viewed over 1.5 million times. All results were totally organic, with NO SPEND put behind any social activity.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

Xbox Stay N’ Play showcased the best of the upcoming Xbox One X in an all-encompassing experience that was designed with fans in mind; highlighting the high fidelity and premium gaming experience that was on offer. It provided a location for trial and facilitated a direct interaction with the brand, core gamers and mainstream audiences, working to turn new to console and casual gamers into diehard Xbox fans. Stay N' Play represents everything a great brand experience should: entertainment, immersion, something unique, tailored to your target and a topic of conversation (in this case - a global one).

It’s easy to talk about the brilliance of a new, powerful gaming console, but is that enough to convince members of the gaming community to upgrade? We realised early on that to showcase the power of Xbox One X, you really need to see and experience the console firsthand to understand the benefits of 4K, HDR and Dolby Atmos in action. Hands-on experiences are key and we knew that the Xbox fanbase and gamers in Australia would do anything to get their hands on a console early before release in a location that was conducive to premium, immersive gaming experience.