When Xbox asked us to help mobilize longtime fans and new players alike to make Gears of War 4 a resounding success, our mission was clear: create a powerful teaser for the release trailer, deliver social assets for exclusive pre-order sales, and lead the way on one of the first major promotions for Snapchat.

Fortunately, our team is led by folks who have been developing the Gears of War visual identity since its inception in 2005. Building on that decade of experience with the brand, and with a careful strategy in place, we put the right boots on the ground and got the gargantuan franchise to the frontlines for the fourth time.

We led the way on major Snapchat promotions by having three clips, all customized for the platform, call out the pre-order deals. In these spots, we scored our fierce cinematic game capture with gentle classical music as a nod at that special Gears of War humor.

Our team won the battle using creativity, exceptional design skill, and clear vision, channeling the essence of the franchise with a fine balance of nostalgia and newness. The Brothers to the End bonuses drove excitement and started conversations around franchised characters, all of which resulted in 23K link clicks and 16M impressions. Fire up your chain guns, gamers—it’s time to save the human race.

Fans on Facebook and Twitter were hit with six individual spots, each showcasing a feature of the pre-order Brothers to the End Elite Pack. Gamers could outfit their characters in exclusive skins or deck out their weapons in golden sheaths. To highlight the components of the pack while making it accessible to all ages, we directed original cinematic game capture right here at Ayzenberg.