December 2021 was the release of Halo Infinite; the 6th main entry of the Halo series, and the 14th Halo game overall, it picks up the story of the Master Chief, following Halo 5: Guardians.

Fans were underwhelmed with Halo Infinite teaser and disappointed with the launch delay. Xbox boss Phil Spencer said “I’ll apologise to the fans”

A year later we were tasked with creating a key standout moment for the launch that would show that the latest game was now a work of art.

It needed to be an epic statement of arrival; something to show off the real beauty of the game; the rich storytelling and stunning visuals.

Objectives:

• Counteract negativity and get people excited about the launch again

• Entice lapsed Halo players back to the game

• Remind fans why they love the Halo universe

Outside the gaming world, gaming is not considered to be high culture – it’s something you do to pass time.

We knew Halo Infinite was not only worth the wait, but that it was a work of art. It was a masterpiece – with Master Chief at the center – belonging in the finest museums. So why not put it there?

Together with acclaimed artist Iva Troj, we created a 6x3 metre, renaissance, oil-on-canvas painting. Filled with hints and hidden references (easter eggs) about the new game and Halo culture for true Halo fans.

Our Halo Infinite Master Piece was displayed at Saatchi Gallery in London and The Carrousel du Louvre in Paris.

To launch the Master Piece across earned and owned channels we created a film that reveals the epic painting on the gallery wall in one continual pull-back, accompanied by a live choir singing the Halo theme.

Target audience: seasoned gamers awaiting the (delayed) game launch.

Relevance of approach: The world may not see Gaming as high culture (yet) but gaming fans do. They understand the artistry, the intricacy and the beauty of the digital worlds.

To place gaming in high culture would be a win – a sign of appreciation for what they love – amongst gamers all over the world. This would bring pride amongst players no matter which game they prefer.

We needed to put Master Chief and our Halo universe at the center, enticing hard core Halo gamers and lapsed ones. If we place gaming in high culture, our truest fans need to feel like the experts they are, identifying details that would be missed by the masses.

Artist Iva Troj created an epic renaissance-style oil-on-canvas painting, measuring 6m x 3m. Her art focused on one epic Master Chief moment, surrounded by scores of Halo franchise references.

It showcased for 10 days at two of the most famous galleries in the world: the Saatchi Gallery, London and the Carrousel du Louvre, Paris.

A powerful single shot film zooms out from a close-up of Master Chief, to reveal the painting in iconic gallery situ.

The Mark Jermyn Choir performed the iconic Halo theme tune for the film soundtrack. It was published on Xbox channels and pitched to media under embargo.

After exhibit, the artwork was cut into 210 unique pieces signed by the artist and given away as one-of-a-kind prizes.

The central piece, featuring Master Chief, was auctioned in partnership with charity SpecialEffect, reaching over $10,000.

Fans could download the painting as a background for their Xbox profile.

The campaign resulted in the biggest ever launch for a Halo game in the franchise’s history, with 20M+ players

18M watched on social

The launch film achieved over a million views in less than 12 hours

Over 520 million people reached via 39 articles across 7 countries – coverage links below

6,849,843 views across social channels – YouTube, FB, IG and Twitter

17,680,943 reach across social channels – YouTube, FB, IG and Twitter

301,894 engagements across social channels – YouTube, FB, IG and Twitter

97% positive sentiment

Twitter First View in the UK