Xbox sought to publicise the release of the Minecraft Dungeons video game by commissioning bespoke "Influencer Kits" for high-profile gaming content creators. The aim was to recreate the Mission Loot Chest from in-game - an artefact players would be familiar with from the product universe.

Xbox wanted the kit to have an extra premium feel- the inner content should comprise a range of merchandise across a number of boxes which visually represent different Minecraft elements.

Recipients would need to be able to open the crate and then pick through roughly four layers of 'treasure', a mixture of bespoke items and existing Minecraft merchandise (plush toy, Lego set, guidebook). The objective was to encourage influencers to share the experience of opening the Influencer Kit with their audience through videos, live streams and social media, promoting the launch. We created a numbered and personalised panel to indicate their exclusivity and limited nature.

Minecraft has a globally recognised aesthetic resembling pixel artwork in a 3D space. Our Minecraft Dungeons Influencer Kit was designed to bring that iconic appearance into the real world in a way that is uncanny. You would see this object in real life and feel unsettled by its resemblance to a digital artefact! Minecraft is also built upon stylised geological materials familiar to players, so after lifting the lid we wanted recipients to discover gifts stored within identifiable boxes -- lava, sand, redstone, obsidian and anthracite. Finally, we wanted the tonal and textural consistency of the kit to align with the merchandise included, such as a guidebook and Lego sets. As our target audience was influencers, some of whom live celebrity lifestyles, and audiences who aspire to that lifestyle, we needed the overall experience to feel luxurious and exclusive in a way that appealed to 'the person who has everything.'

Initial explorations saw us explore wood and paper over board box constructions. Weight considerations, production timeframes and for best use of budget we opted for the paper over board solution. Creating a large box with intricate details wasn't without issues - the exterior 3D blocks and inset lid went through various stages of sampling to perfect, the hinged lid needed to withhold mass weight due to the oversized dimensions of the final box. Integration of foiled details to contrast with the pebble-esque papers represented the shimmer of the lights of the in-game chest.

The kit needed to be capable of holding various merchandise without looking over or undersized. Choosing varied array of papers for the inner boxes gave the kit a tactile feel, materials such as the welcome card on the fluorescent edge acrylic furthered the premium feel. Integration of the card inner fitment furthered the presentation of the content.

The Minecraft Dungeons Influencer Kit was distributed to 100 high-profile influencers in the gaming community with a combined audience of 52.7m total followers through 132 earned posts.

Content created by influencers received 6.9m impressions during the product launch period including 310k engagements (likes, comments and shares). One such 'unboxing' video by TheRelaxingEnd (YouTube) has received over 6m views in 11 months since publication, with 233k likes. Other famous influencers who created content include DanTDM (1.2m views) and CaptainSparklez (400k). Influencers also showcased the kit on their social channels, as we had hoped they would. In February 2021, Xbox revealed that Minecraft Dungeons had been played by 10 million gamers across the world.

In addition to the results achieved for the client we crafted the kit using sustainably sourced materials, most of which are recyclable, to reduce our impact on the environment, and included localised information about recycling in each kit.