We energised fans by giving them something new: exclusive, high-quality digital rewards they could download and enjoy at home. Our goal was to set off a massive search, map fans’ paths and gather info as they downloaded rewards. From supplied art and found assets our team created 48 rewards including 3D posters, certificates, tattoos, papercraft figures, and digital wallpapers. We translated these rewards into five languages, stored them in a custom download experience at XboxCogCodes.com, and spread codes to unlock them across 11 markets. Direct marketing in email, mobile, and print would drive buzz on Twitter, Facebook, and xbox.com.

Xbox brand is about transforming ordinary entertainment into extraordinary experiences: interactive, imaginative, social, and approachable. We were using Gears to learn more about the Xbox audience, so we targeted those values. Fans interacted with each other and Xbox for imaginative rewards, and the search became an all-comers effort on social channels.

The fan base made the campaign their own: consuming our direct communications, creating their own, sharing codes, and generating tremendous positive word-of-mouth. The first three months alone generated massive returns: •5 million page views •650,000 unique visitors •24% of traffic from social networks •40% of traffic from referring sources •6 minutes on site per user•27,000 'likes' on Facebook •More than 1,000 comment pages on Epic Games forums We tracked codes that led to 798, 259 reward unlocks, learned channel preferences and information hubs, and identified the elite core of influencers who steer the masses. Total investment: $704,485.