Our approach for the announcement of the Xbox Elite Series 2 controllers was centered on harnessing the power of polarization - not only in terms of effectively driving passionate conversation on social, but also ensuring that the topic of conversation around these controllers was actually about the controllers themselves. We wanted discourse to center around audience preference between these two new products, instead of drifting into conversation surrounding the broader brand and product line in general. We wanted them to pick a side.
When approached with a decision between two things, everyone on social has an opinion, and one they are usually ready to talk about. When a product is merely celebrated without a mindfulness of steering conversation, previously established perceptions of that product can cloud an otherwise exciting moment with negative sentiment. So, our announce content centered on one question: are you Team Red or Team Blue? Tasked with driving excitement for the new red and blue Xbox Elite Series 2 controller colorways, our team seized the opportunity to reach core players with a head-to-head matchup of two heroes in a short, animated film. Working off the natural inclination viewers have toward either red or blue, the team dropped the audience into a colossal anime-style fight between two titans. Ultimately, the battling controllers land side by side in a truce amongst the settling dust, while the viewer is left to choose which color best represents their personality and playstyle. The content itself directed the conversation around the controllers in an attention-grabbing, engaging way.
As anticipated in the conceptualization of this campaign, our audience certainly made their opinions known. With more than 3M impressions, 15k engagements, and a comment volume well above benchmark, members of our target audience had fun choosing their preferred controller based on their personal style. With 10k clicks, many of those engaged fans additionally went to the product website to make the official decision as to which of these new controllers would be added to their arsenal.
