This was the second of two commercials that focused on our Halo lead character, the Master Chief, who’s fate has been in question for months during our long running campaign for the Halo 5 release. A week after airing the first Halo 5 spot, “A Hero Falls,” we aired this second ad called “The Hunt Begins” showing a totally different account of what happened to the Master Chief. It has been revealed that his “death” in the previous spot was the government cover-up, and it appears that the Chief has shifted alliances and is now a traitor. There is now a manhunt for him, led by Spartan Locke.

The Halo franchise was in decline. It lacked the cache and cultural relevancy it enjoyed in the early 2000’s. Its great strength and what set it apart in the video game landscape has always been in its narrative. But in 2015, its beloved main character (Master Chief) and story has become the predictable, archetypical “Hero Saves The Day!” fodder that the public has become, frankly, bored with. This film was the answer to making the Master Chief and by proxy, the franchise, something worth talking about again. This film was news.