Adobe wanted to showcase the power of its Creative Cloud in a way that would connect with the university student gaming community using a first-to-market strategy.

Adobe realized many students don’t think Adobe Creative Cloud programs are relevant to their interests. In addition to relevancy, most students also don't know that Adobe offers a discounted student subscription.

Adobe sought to debunk myths about its products related to high barriers of entry and the need for professional training. In order to show students that Adobe Creative Cloud is both relevant to their interests and easy to use, Adobe wanted to get Creative Cloud into as many student hands as possible, earn viewer trust by offering rewards and tapping into popular gaming moments, and create a memorable gaming experience that was additive to the gaming community by connecting them in new ways.

Traditionally, Drops are a self-service tool used by game publishers without the involvement of advertisers. With Co-Op Drops however, Twitch brings brands into the fold more authentically, and Adobe was first to use them. Adobe rewarded viewers by offering in-game assets and promotions in exchange for tuning in to their sponsored livestreams on Twitch.

Twitch integrated Adobe Creative Cloud into Twitch streams so gaming communities could use it together. Partnering with popular game titles like New World, Lost Ark, and others, the Twitch audience could design in-game assets in their favorite games, including character skins, weapons, maps and more.

Viewers were able to determine the look and feel of these items simultaneously in Creative Cloud selecting from a variety of colors, textures, and patterns for the custom touch.

Anyone who tuned in had the items show up in their own gameplay for them to use once fully designed.

Adobe wanted to reach student gamers, and there is no better place to find them online than on Twitch, where viewers come together to chat with their favorite streamers, create their own entertainment, and form communities based on similar passions.

In the US alone, gaming is a top interest for college students (150 index), and they also have a strong affinity with watching gaming livestreams (187 index).

On Twitch, viewers are over 2x as likely to be university students compared to the general population (231 index) , and Twitch also happens to be the livestream service of choice for US college students, indicating that Twitch is the leading online destination for student gamers.

To reframe the Creative Cloud as practical and accessible, Adobe found a solution that leveraged a hobby this audience loves. Not only was it live, it was immersive, valuable, and communal.

In 2022, the Adobe Co-Op Drops campaign proved to be a massive success. Adobe received positive sentiment from viewers who were excited to see in-game items they’d help create in their favorite games.

According to a few viewers…

“I LOVE ADOBE!”

“I’m not going to lie, I’m so excited to get this skin set.”

“We did an amazing job with the weapons.”

The Adobe streams’ reach numbers were also impressive:

6.8MM unique viewers - the equivalent of 34,000 university lecture halls!

31.8MM total minutes watched

Over 430K drops claimed

…As were metrics associated with the campaign’s media:

32MM Unique Reach

128MM Video Completes

501K Clicks

Viewers were eager to learn more about Adobe. Following the streams, Adobe.com saw over 650 thousand new views, giving the site a huge traffic boost and viewers a chance to learn more about how they could harness the power of creativity themselves.