It was a long wait for the new season of Amazon’s hit series, “The Boys”—an irreverent take on the superhero genre. Prime Video wanted to get fans excited for the September premiere with a live Comic-Con activation: Baby Laser Tag.

Inspired by a memorable scene in the show—where antihero Billy Butcher wields a superhero baby with laser eyes to slice through his attackers—the team planned an epic IRL game of laser tag, complete with fully functioning laser-baby dolls for weapons.

But as the global health crisis worsened, the campaign shifted to digital. The brief evolved to creating an immersive, shareable experience for fans stuck at home, several months into lockdown. One that promoted Season 2 and stayed true to the show and the audience.

Enter: Baby Laser Tag. A mobile, first-person shooter game that drops fans into the action—battling corrupt superheroes with a laser-eyed baby as their only defense. The goal? Survive as long as you can and just blast everything.

Each enemy superhero has unique strengths, weaknesses, and attack styles, ramping up in

difficulty as gameplay continues. Along the way, fans can also explore in-game objects from Season 2, compete for a spot on the global leaderboard, and share their own blood-spattered selfies on social media.

Baby Laser Tag was built using Unity’s AR Foundation to render 3D scans of each character on any flat surface in the user’s surroundings. Realistic UI, video and audio extracts, and immersive AR graphics help bring the world of The Boys to life on iOS and Android devices.

The Amazon Original Series is an adaptation of The New York Times bestselling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Accordingly, promotion focused on core audiences in gaming, tech, entertainment, and men’s interest.

All promotional materials served as an invitation for people to discover The Boys—watch S1, tune in for S2—and download the app. The campaign’s core messaging reflected this: “Get Ready for The Boys’ New Season. Download Baby Laser Tag.”

Promotion began one month prior to the August 31st launch, with a cross-channel approach: PR, social, and digital media. The goal? Turn every detail into a must-share moment to maximize social talk, PR, and earned media for The Boys

The campaign rolled out in two phases: PR blast and game release.

Variety served as an exclusive media partner to announce the new season and AR game, anchoring Baby Laser Tag in the world of entertainment and gaming. Followed by a media blitz and branded takeover of Amazon’s virtual Comic-Con event in July.

To get people talking, press kits featuring real laser-baby dolls—complete with light-up eyes, electrifying coos, and playful packaging—were sent to press, talent, and influencers. The My Lil Laser Baby doll also appeared in a parody Home Shopping Network spot on YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.

Baby Laser Tag debuted in the App Store and Google Play on August 31, 2020, one week prior to The Boys’ Season 2 premiere. ROI skyrocketed, in terms of app reviews, downloads, and YouTube views, thanks to partnerships with influencers entrenched in our core audience: Twitch streamers, robotics YouTubers, cosplay enthusiasts.

Baby Laser Tag was Amazon Prime Video’s first augmented-reality experience—one that got fans talking and blasting, and helped build momentum for opening weekend viewership to outperform The Mandalorian and Stranger Things 3.

The campaign garnered 966M total media impressions, with coverage in Adweek, Collider, and Syfy. More than 56k fans downloaded the game, with 1.5k reviews and an average 4.9 rating in the App Store.

Earned social from the cast and showrunners spiked demand for the My Lil Laser Baby dolls—so much so, that Amazon has since partnered with collectibles manufacturer NECA to produce a licensed version of the doll.

The campaign and game together helped solidify and broaden the fan base of a show that is timely, irreverent, and deeply cathartic—the perfect escape in lockdown.