ATOMIC HEART

 
 

BRIEFING

  • Publisher: Focus Entertainment

  • Developer: Mundfish

  • Country target: US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India 

  • Goal: The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness for the release of Atomic Heart on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.

  • Approach: Highlighting all the unique traits and genres of Atomic Heart through a diverse influencer selection. Delving into our creative side to portray the distinctive aesthetics and atmosphere of the game, in hopes of tapping into both the most dedicated gaming audience but also the casual players.

 
 

In the realm of video games, there are those rare gems that captivate our imaginations and push the boundaries of storytelling and gameplay. Every so often, these games give us a different perspective of the world; a deep dive into what could have been. This is the case with Mundfish’s first-person shooter Atomic Heart. The premise is a simple yet deeply impactful question:

What if the USSR won the Cold War? 

Delivering the message of this game, and highlighting its unique characteristics was our core mission while covering Atomic Heart through a sponsored and organic campaign. Our approach focused essentially on reflecting the aspects that made the game one of a kind. Recognizing the significance of the diverse characteristics of Atomic Heart, we have strategically handpicked content creators who have built strong communities and resonate with various demographic groups. Above all, our primary objective was to ensure that the distinctive elements of the game were seamlessly matched with the most suitable content creators within each respective field. We meticulously selected renowned individuals in each category explored by the game, spanning from action to music. Our aim was to have every facet of Atomic Heart accentuated by specialists who possess the expertise to genuinely appreciate its intricacies. Let’s take a closer look at these different facets and how we chose to bring them to the spotlight.

With the game's intriguing blend of science fiction and horror elements, we sought out content creators who could effectively showcase both themes, ultimately leading us to collaborate with the talented Coryxkenshin. Being a passionate horror fan himself, Coryxkenshin's genuine enthusiasm for the game was palpable, and his community resonated deeply with his experience. This was evident in the remarkable results: His video amassed an astounding 7 million views, reaching an audience beyond his usual viewers. Moreover, over 23 thousand individuals were compelled to click on the game's purchase link in the video description, demonstrating the tangible impact Coryxkenshin had in driving interest and conversions.

Given the deeply entertaining storyline of the game, we decided to collaborate with notable AAA walkthrough creators such as TheRadBrad. His expertise and passion for the genre proved to be a perfect match for our game, and his impact far exceeded our initial expectations.

TheRadBrad created a highly successful video series centered around the game, which resonated remarkably well with his dedicated audience. In fact, the videos' performance surpassed our projections by nearly threefold, showcasing the immense popularity and positive reception it received. 

Considering the complexity of the puzzles in the game, we decided to collaborate with ESO, a popular YouTuber known for creating content focused on solving intricate gaming challenges. ESO released a series of instructional videos, one of them titled "Should Video Games Lock Picking be Remastered?" These videos attracted not only his dedicated fans but also a wide range of gaming enthusiasts, causing them to go viral and surpassing our expectations with over 5 million views.

The campaign naturally reached beyond the confines of YouTube, we joined forces with a select group of 58 top-notch streamers to jump into the enigmatic world of Atomic Heart. With a mere 2 hours of required gameplay, our selected Twitch streamers quickly became enthralled by the game, ultimately stretching their sessions well beyond the 8-hour mark. The result? A cumulative average viewership of 267k, once again surpassing our expectations. Some of the creators that we worked with include but aren’t limited to forsen, MissMikkaa, Bonjwa, AlexElCapo, and Elajjaz.

One of the most striking aspects of Atomic Heart is its distinctive art style, characterized by a blend of retro-futurism and an eerie ambiance. Naturally, we decided to highlight and capitalize on these qualities during the campaign. We approached JT Music, a talented music group, to create an incredible musical piece inspired by the game's captivating lore. To our delight, their rap song surpassed our expectations and performed exceptionally well, garnering twice the attention and praise we had anticipated.

Furthermore, we collaborated with a skilled 3D/CGI Youtuber, Shutter Authority to bring the game's robotic characters to life in a visually stunning manner. Shutter Authority went above and beyond by shooting a captivating video set in an empty part of Los Angeles, carefully selected to evoke post-apocalyptic vibes. To enhance the authenticity, a talented actor portrayed a courageous explorer who bravely faced off against the menacing robots. The Youtuber seamlessly incorporated the CGI robots into the footage, resulting in a breathtaking cinematic experience that captivated audiences.

In the same vein of bringing Atomic Heart to life, and with the help of Moonfish, we empowered our creators to craft captivating and immersive experiences, leveraging unique replicas taken directly from the game. These remarkable replicas served as the building blocks for a myriad of exciting and interactive content, such as:

 
 

Following suit, we further enhanced our commitment to fueling creativity by introducing an exclusive buzzkit to our creators. This not only enabled more social media interactions but also showcased our commitment to highlighting the importance of our creators in this campaign. A select few of them were awarded a special edition, ultra-limited pair of Atomic sneakers. Entirely personalized, from the shoe to the box it came in, creators were able to rock the Atomic style in public with a well-thought-out design that was unique worldwide.

 
 

On the organic campaign side, our approach was similar in goals. Our aim was to reach a wider audience of gamers, which is why we brought on a wide set of creators from variety streamers to specialists in the previous genres we covered. This led to over a thousand creators participating in this campaign, ranging from YouTube creators such as Hollow to Twitch streamers such as Alazonka and Lirik. The results were overwhelmingly positive, reaching over 16,5 million views on YouTube and over 547,000 hours watched on 260 Twitch streams. With our top performers on the latter peaking at an average of 10,000 viewers during said streams, the organic campaign follows the footsteps of the sponsored section in its overwhelming success. 

Through our strategic collaborations and carefully crafted campaign, we successfully conveyed the essence of Atomic Heart, engaging and captivating players and viewers alike. The fusion of genres, the talent of the content creators as well as their creativity all contributed to the game's extraordinary reception. Atomic Heart stands as a testament to the power of innovative storytelling and the impact of well-executed influencer partnerships in the world of gaming.

Overview:

  • Country target: US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India 

  • Goal: The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness for the release of Atomic Heart on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC.

  • Approach: Highlighting all the unique traits and genres of Atomic Heart through a diverse influencer selection. Delving into our creative side to portray the distinctive aesthetics and atmosphere of the game, in hopes of tapping into both the most dedicated gaming audience but also the casual players.

  • Results:

    • Sponsored:

      • About 50 sponsored YouTube videos, two of them going viral and garnering over 12 million views.

      • A cumulative average viewership of 267k on Twitch through sponsored streams.

      • Dedicated rap song and music video with over 650k views on YouTube.

    • Organic:

      • 16,5M views were generated out of organic YouTube content, on a total of 352 videos and 121 Youtube streams.

      • 547,000 hours watched on Twitch through the organic campaign.