Last updated on September 25th, 2024 at 09:24 pm
Effective game advertising helps target specific customer groups and boosts brand visibility. Top Games found success with their Super Bowl ad. Benjamin Gifford, VP of Top Games, showed how powerful high-profile ads can be.
Evony: The King’s Return Super Bowl Ad
In 2017, Top Games aired a 30-second Super Bowl ad for their mobile game Evony: The King’s Return. The ad featured Hollywood actors Aaron Eckhart, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and Fan Bingbing. It was filmed in Queenstown, New Zealand, and showcased historical leaders like George Washington, King Arthur, and Empress Wu Zetian joining forces for battle.
The ad had an immediate effect. It pushed Evony to 17th place in the US App Store download rankings. Although its revenue wasn’t yet significantly impacted, the game’s visibility soared.
Behind the Plate of the Campaign
VFX supervisor Benjamin Walsh led a team of 30 artists to create the special effects for the Evony ad. They used computer-generated (CG) effects to depict large armies, weapons, and dramatic elements like fireballs and fog. These effects enhanced the intensity of the battle scenes.
Benjamin Gifford’s Marketing Approach
Benjamin Gifford emphasizes speed and responsibility in marketing. He encourages teams to act fast, learn from their experiences, and keep improving. Efficiency, he says, is key to achieving excellence.
When problems arise, Benjamin often leads “Tiger Teams” to find solutions and ensure the issues don’t return. His advice to game developers is to focus on the user. By understanding users’ needs and working backward, companies can earn their trust. He stresses solving the most important problems first to avoid wasting time and resources.
For Benjamin, the goal is to deliver excellence, not perfection. He believes in continuously raising standards and focusing on long-term success.
Final Inning
Benjamin Gifford’s playbook for large-scale advertising, including Super Bowl campaigns, shows how game brands can hit it out of the park. His emphasis on efficiency, a user-first approach, and relentless improvement provides valuable takeaways for anyone in marketing or game development looking to step up their game.
