Xbox was launching their next generation video game console, the Xbox Series X. But the average gamer didn’t see the point. Graphics and processing power were already great and there was a feeling that the next-generation machines would only offer minor, incremental improvements.

Dispelling that perception would be hard because there’s some truth to it. While next-generation consoles are a step change, the launch games aren’t. Until game developers have enough time to optimize their games to the new specification, games on the Series X won’t look dramatically different than games on the current generation console. The marketing challenge was clear: How do you get gamers talking about (and lining up to buy) our new console when the games don’t look or feel like an improvement? Our objective was to drive engagement, media buzz, and ultimately sales during the launch window.

An amazing gaming experience is something that stays with gamers, even into their real dreams. So Xbox partnered with dream scientists at a leading university known for its Targeted Dream Incubation methods. The research explored what gamers dreamed of after playing on the most powerful console for the first time.

This resulted in the short film “Lucid Odyssey” featuring streamer MoonLiteWolf and brought to life by an Oscar-winning director. In the film, viewers can hitch a ride into MoonLiteWolf’s actual dreams—which include exploring a magical forest with a glowing bunny, encountering a “galaxy whale” made out of constellations, and attending a concert in space where Master Chief was deejaying. The result is a trippy and unforgettable journey into the subconscious of one of Xbox’s most committed streamers, and an entirely unique way to celebrate the power and imagination of the gaming community.

Research showed our gamer audience expressed limited enthusiasm to skepticism around the next-generation consoles. They were not passionate about the high-tech specifications. They were, however, interested in the actual experience they might have when playing.

We reframed our thinking from what they play on to why they play. Despite stereotypes to the contrary, gamers brains are made better by games. Gamers don’t play graphic fidelity; they play to expand their experiences beyond their reality. Imagination, creativity, and curiosity are rewarded in games. As a result, games make us dreamers. The console Xbox was launching was not a ten-pound black box called the Series X, it was the squishy three-pound enigma between gamers’ ears. The hardware was simply a means to an end. Our strategy was to show that all the power of a new gaming console existed to bring gamers’ dreams to life.

MoonLiteWolf participated in a virtual dream study which allowed scientists to explore her dreams after playing the Series X for the very first time. She was guided to a semi-conscious sleep state known as hypnagogia, which was tracked via the Hypnodyne Headband she’s seen wearing in the film. During hypnagogia, we begin to dream, but can still hear the world around us. This is the point where MoonLiteWolf was asked to describe her dreams. This dream data was then brought to life as Lucid Odyssey, which stayed true to MoonLiteWolf’s subconscious narratives.

Lucid Odyssey was a part of bigger content series that was released over the course of a week, where each piece of content telling the story of a different gamer’s dreams. The creators and gamer participants, all shared the content on their channels and created inspired reaction-videos when they saw the output of what their dreams turned into.

The Series X launch was the most successful in Xbox history. By every measure the campaign beat its benchmarks, driving awareness, buzz and ultimately sales.

The launch campaign generated a significant lift in awareness among our target audience. Brand attribute measures for innovation and leadership rose dramatically, a strong indicator the power of the Series X was coming though in an emotional and memorable way.

The campaign sparked curiosity and intrigue, even more than when the console was first revealed. Our social media efforts during the launch window generated higher total engagements than any preceding Series X marketing beat. And net sentiment, measured via social listening, was 99% positive.

This gamer excitement drove demand. There was a significant lift in purchase intent beating benchmarks, and Xbox recorded record sales, making the Series X their best console launch in history.