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Why Live-Action Gaming Brand Activations Work

Brand Activation Marketing

Why Live-Action Gaming Brand Activation Just Work

 

brand activation

Introduction to Brand Activation


Over the years Battlefield Sports has been part of many brand activations.

Brand activation is to show customers that promises made in advertising are true, really true.

Activations are important for all sorts of brands, from movie premieres like Divergent to video game launches like Call of Duty.

Activations for gaming companies like Warhammer and mega-brands like Nintendo and Microsoft all help move the needle for these household names.

These brands created an experience for their business's audience so their customers could experience that brand first-hand. If you are looking for brand activation ideas, look no further!

Nowadays, our job as marketers is to get customers to know, like, and trust our brands.


Key Takeaways

1️⃣ Live-Action Gaming Creates Memorable Brand Experiences: Brand activations using live-action gaming, like laser tag, immerse participants in an engaging and interactive experience. This firsthand engagement fosters emotional connections, making brands memorable and increasing customer loyalty. 

2️⃣ Successful Brand Activations Drive Sales & Awareness: Case studies, such as the Splatoon launch in Chile and the Halo launch in Canada, demonstrate how live-action brand activations can lead to increased game sales and heightened brand awareness. The ability to experience a game or movie in real life strengthens consumer interest and excitement.

3️⃣ Experiential Marketing Differentiates Brands: In today’s crowded marketplace, brands that offer unique, money-can’t-buy experiences stand out. Live-action gaming activations allow brands to break through the noise, create buzz, and ensure customers remember them long after the event.


 

brand activation with live-action gaming

Brands can foster positive associations and create long-term brand loyalty by engaging with customers and enabling them to immerse themselves in an experience.


The thing is, customers can only be loyal to brands they remember.

A marketer who sets business brands (and their products and services) apart from the rest is in demand.

And creating a one-of-a-kind experience or a money-can't-buy experience for a brand's audience is certainly memorable!

Laser tag games, also known as live-action gaming experiences, create an emotional connection between a brand and its audience.

Customers who engage with a brand are more likely to become long-term customers. The right approach gives your brand a long-lasting impact.

Brand activations and experiential marketing create memorable customer experiences, allowing them to interact with the brand.


 

 

Brand Activation Examples: Live-Action Gaming


video gamers


Case Studies

Customers come in all shapes and sizes, and so do brand activations.

Brand Activation Examples: Live-action gaming!

Warhamm: Imagine Orks. Imagine Imperial Guardsmen. Imagine testing your best war cry! In a world-first, gamers experienced Kill Team live at PAX Unplugged in Philadelphia, USA.

 

 

Splatoon Video Game Launch

Chile As part of this video game launch, Cencosud shopping malls across Chile transformed a mainstream shopping mall into a Splatoon fest. The launch was a huge success. More than 3,000 people played the live-action game version of Splatoon as part of the launch. The event was so successful that the Splatoon game from Nintendo sold out across the Cencosud shopping malls in the first two days.



Colorful and Chaotic Video Game Launch in Chile 

 Nintendo’s squid-and-ink competitive shooter Splatoon was launched in Chile with the help of Battlefield LIVE Chile, as part of a worldwide launch. Splatoon is a new kid-friendly video game title. It is a multiplayer shooter that replaces guns and gore with squids and paints. The game pits four teams against each other, doing everything possible to cover the map in paint. The team with the most paint on the ground wins at the end of the match. Across Chile, Nintendo sells its video games across a string of shopping malls called Cencosud. "We approached Cencosud and offered a joint venture to help launch the video game. We put emotion into the game, the shopping mall. Gamers could play a live version of the game for free," said Carlos. BFL Chile at Splatoon Launch Coke-a-cola was also an important sponsor at the event, donating thousands of sodas. "The launch was a huge success," said Carlos. 

"More than 3,000 people played Battlefield LIVE for free in a live version of Splatoon," said Carlos. "The event was so successful that the Splatoon game from Nintendo sold out across the Cencosud shopping malls in the first two days. The other malls and stores did not have the same success. Battlefield LIVE wasn’t there!" said Carlos. "Nintendo's headquarters in the USA told me that this was the best launch for Nintendo worldwide. Santiago had the best pro-rata sales according to the planning target, depending on the number of people and the purchasing power of each country, and was low in operational costs," said Carlos. 

Since its initial launch in Chile, Nintendo has sold millions of copies of Splatoon. According to Video Game Sales, As of March 2024, the Splatoon franchise has sold 30.51 million copies worldwide.

This includes 476,000 (physical and digital) units in the Americas, 368,000 in Japan, and 230,000 in Europe. Splatoon Launch with Battlefield LIVE Chile “Ever since Splatoon launched on May 29 in the United States, we’ve seen thousands of people go online to have fun in this colorful, chaotic competition,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “This milestone puts us in a nice position as we prepare to launch 11 more exclusive Wii U and Nintendo 3DS games before the end of the year, plus digital offerings, and games from our third-party partners.”


 

 

Halo Video Game Launch Canada

Since Halo: Combat Evolved debuted years and years ago, Microsoft has continued to create new and exciting versions of the brand in the sci-fi shooter series. And every time they launch a new release, they create memorable brand activations.


Eager fans line up for hours each time. For the launch of HALO Reach, Microsoft created a live experience of the game in Vancouver and Toronto.

 

Gamers of all ages


The Divergent Movie Premiere in the UK

The premiere of the sci-fi movie Divergent was celebrated with a fan experience outside the Odeon Cinema in Leicester Square, London.

 And this premier experience didn't just last one night, no!

This premier experience was an entire weekend. The red carpet location was transformed into the film's dystopian setting.

Fans participated in initiation tests and dauntless training, similar to what Divergent's protagonist, Tris Prior, does in the movie.

 

 

 

A laser tag brand activation is an immersive marketing strategy in which consumers interact with a brand through a real-life gaming experience. This hands-on, immersive engagement strengthens emotional connections, increases brand recall, and drives long-term customer loyalty. Successful examples include game launches for Nintendo’s Splatoon and Microsoft’s Halo, where live-action experiences boosted excitement and sales.
Live-action gaming experiences work because they create memorable, interactive moments that captivate audiences. Unlike traditional advertising, these activations allow participants to physically engage with a brand, forming positive associations. Case studies, like the Splatoon launch in Chile, show that experiential marketing can lead to increased brand awareness, stronger customer engagement, and higher sales conversions.
Businesses can leverage live-action gaming by incorporating immersive experiences into product launches, special events, or marketing campaigns. Whether it’s a game-themed laser tag arena, an interactive movie premiere, or a hands-on gaming zone at a convention, these activations create buzz and drive engagement. By offering unique, shareable experiences, brands can stand out and leave a lasting impression on their target audience.

 

Summing Up: Brand Activation


Brand activations are exciting whether you are considering a movie premiere or a video game midnight launch!

According to Bob Liodice, President of the Association of National Advertisers, brand activation is a way to energize your brand through multiple sources and bring people closer.

As reported in Chron, brand activation refers to generating consumer interest by allowing consumers to use a product or experience a service. In this way, the brand's value is "activated" or realized by the consumer, who then connects the value given to the brand and walks away with a strong impression. With enough brand activation work, a core of consumers will have a strong, favorable opinion about the business because of personal interaction and will spread this opinion among others. (source)


Consider how your local live-action gaming business can be part of a unique brand activation.




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