CoD: Warzone - Cold War Intercepts
In December 2020, Activision was about to throw Warzone and its base of over 80 million players into the gritty world of the Cold War. They asked us to help set the stage for the biggest update in Warzone history and bridge the gap from 2020 to 1984. So we developed a fully interactive experience (including a radio station, mini-site, and ARG) with a 100% digital footprint. The project recently won gold and silver at the Entertainment Clios, and hopefully more to come!
In December 2020, Activision was about to throw Warzone and its base of over 80 million players into the gritty world of the Cold War. They asked us to help set the stage for the biggest update in Warzone history and bridge the gap from 2020 to 1984. So we developed a fully interactive experience (including a radio station, mini-site, and ARG) with a 100% digital footprint. The project recently won gold and silver at the Entertainment Clios, and hopefully more to come!
First, we created Zasha: A Soviet-era hacktivist to recruit CoD players to the cause.
Staying true to the era, we went fully analog with an actual SHORTWAVE RADIO BROADCAST, the preferred medium for Cold War spies. Gamers would have to literally tune in to receive the transmissions.
Then Zasha supplied our streamer operatives with all the spycraft necessities.
Items included a shortwave radio in a customized pouch, a period-accurate notebook sourced from Prague, and the codes concealed in a false bolt.
All intel led to The Terminal, a custom-built micro-site turning their devices into a hacker station straight out of the ’80s.
Correct codes unlocked easter eggs, minigames, and glimpses at new
in-game features.
Passcodes:
PAYBACK, STITCHISCOMING,
REMOTECONTROL, INTERROGATION, VODIANOY, VOZROZHDENIYA
To reach those without a radio or playing globally, Zasha took over the CoD YouTube channel, streaming a broadcast filmed in an actual cold war bunker in Prague.
Client: Activision
Agency: Giant Spoon
Creative Director, Design, Animation: Me
VP, Strategy: JM Herrmann
Executive Producer: Sarah Novosad
Account Director: Jeff Bardin
Web Development: Kevin Green