Cannes Lions

Sounds of Vondel

TRAILER PARK, Los Angeles / ACTIVISION / 2024

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Overview

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OVERVIEW

Background

Players eagerly await new maps and constantly clamor for new ways to experience them.

To announce the release of the new Call of Duty: Warzone Map ‘Vondel’, Activision partnered with Oliver Heldens to release a custom EDM track. To bring the track to life, we needed an experimental music video.

Our task was to bring EDM culture to life in-game through capture and editing, also showcasing the new map and playable operators coming in Call of Duty: Warzone Season 4.

Done right, this would pull Call of Duty: Warzone players into Vondel’s tactical urban action while authentically reaching EDM fans.

Idea

When the Call of Duty team announced a brand new Call of Duty: Warzone game map, they paired it alongside a new song with Dutch EDM legend Oliver Heldens.

And to get the word out, we treated our new map release with the same cultural gravitas that would accompany the drop of a new track.

So, we didn’t roll it out like a standard map - we dropped it as the next EDM banger, complete with its own hypnotizing video.

Strategy

Player anticipation and excitement around a new map can be heightened by telling the map's story in a unique way. New maps need to distinguish themselves in culture, aesthetic, and tactical opportunity. Our video needed to deliver across the board while making a fictional city exciting for a global audience. Knowing how important music is to our audience, we decided to pull that lever.

To reflect the EDM festival season, our work needed to feel like the beginning of a bombastic summer vacation in a city filled with adventure and excitement.

Outcome

The music video was met with immense support from both EDM and Call of Duty fans, with millions of organic views in the first few days. The project continued to gain popularity over time as players went back to experience it over and over again.

Ultimately this partnership sent Call of Duty and EDM fans on a rich, unforgettable trip to Europe through music, visuals, and action-packed gameplay.

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