‘Galaga’ Game Goes To TV With Scripted Series

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The Nuttery Entertainment has licensed Bandai Namco Entertainment’s classic Galaga arcade game for linear entertainment. The plan is to expand the 35-year-old brand across multiple platforms, including an animated series titled Galaga Chronicles.

Magnus Jansson, co-founder of The Nuttery, told AListDaily that the team they’re putting together for Galaga Chronicles have all had tremendous experience and success with creating extensions off of existing major brands.

“While The Nuttery is a new company, both myself and co-founder Erik Ohrner have worked with some of the biggest brands in the world across numerous projects,” Jansson explained. “Sometimes it’s been a great experience, other times it can be a bit harder. You’re essentially borrowing someone’s baby and you need to take the absolute best care of it.”

Galaga is the latest video game adaptation in Hollywood, which is also working on a Tomb Raider movie reboot, and films based on Watch Dogs, Tom Clancy’s The Division and an Assassin’s Creed sequel. Like the animated Sly Cooper TV series and Rabbids feature film, Jansson believes Galaga Chronicles has an advantage over live action.

“The biggest advantage is that animation/CGI is closer to what the audience is familiar with—you’re not straying too far from the source in terms of the medium,” Jansson said. “Things you can do in a game can seem far-fetched or even ludicrous in a filmed version, whereas monsters or magic or bug aliens seem totally legit when animated.”

Growing up in Sweden, Jansson logged a lot of hours playing Galaga alongside Kung Fu Master in his local bowling alley.

“It was a big part of my childhood and the same is true for a lot of people,” Jansson explained. “There is so much legacy and awesomeness in the name Galaga alone. We just want to have that feeling back, and hopefully, we won’t screw it up.”

Playing hours and hours of Galaga was a fun jumping-off point for creating a story around the IP.

“We tried to break down the core of the game—mechanics that are familiar and fun—elements that made Galaga unique,” Jansson said. “We also looked at the release and how and when people played it. We found a great core and essence that we’re now using as the kernel to build the story around. The story and the characters will be everything, no matter how great the visuals, and we’re very happy with what we have so far.”

Thus far, Bandai Namco has fully supported this vision. The Japanese game giant has previously worked with Hollywood in big-screen films like Pixels as well as the animated TV series Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.

“We just have to be aware that we’re working with a brand—with and for an audience that has a relationship with it,” Jansson said. “So within those parameters, we have enough freedom to be able to craft something amazing with Galaga Chronicles. We have a close relationship with Bandai Namco and they’re definitely part of the process during the development.”

Jansson believes the global Galaga brand stands nostalgia and the childhood memories that are wrapped around it.

“It carries with it the feeling of simpler and fun time,” Jansson explained. “In today’s world, this is more true than ever—especially with the wave of the ’80s and ‘90s IPs being resurrected. The outpouring of love for the game from fans and gamers, and in some cases in terms of ‘please don’t [mess] this up,’ since announcing this project has been incredible. Galaga is truly a game that touched a lot of people.”

Jansson said the first installment in Galaga Chronicles will target gamers and original fans of the game.

“At the same time, it will be a kickass, standalone animated sci-fi series that everyone can enjoy,” Jansson said. “For players, and even those just familiar with the iconic ship—we want this series to be the backstory players of Galaga always imagined was behind those magical 112 pixels of space ship awesomeness.”

The Nuttery Entertainment is still finalizing the platforms and partners for this project, but Jansson said the company is taking a digital-first approach with online platforms.

“We also looked at Twitch and other emerging platforms as we’re putting together the best rollout for the project,” Jansson explained. “We have some partnerships that will give an idea of the multi-platform approach we’re taking that we’ll be able to announce shortly.”

Bandai Namco created a new game after Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures became a CGI television hit. Jansson said The Nuttery is definitely looking at those kinds of possibilities, but it needs to feel very natural.

Asus ZenFone AR Makes An Argument For Why Brands Should Embrace Augmented Reality

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Asus launched the ZenFone AR in the United States on Thursday. Built to be a kind of dream smartphone for technology enthusiasts, the ZenFone AR features high specifications, including a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 mobile processor.

It’s also currently one of only two devices in the world that supports the Google Tango augmented reality technology (the other being the Lenovo Phab 2), and it’s the only smartphone that has both Tango and Daydream—Google’s mobile virtual reality platform. The phone is available exclusively through Verizon and is priced at $648 for the 128 GB model.

Verizon and Asus partnered to host a pre-launch event in New York City on Wednesday to showcase the ZenFone AR and its capabilities. There, attendees could get their hands on the cutting-edge phone and try out a range of applications including: AR and VR games, the BMW i Visualizer app, which lets users project and customize life-sized virtual cars into real-world spaces like garages or driveways, the Google Expeditions application, which lets educators illustrate concepts like volcanoes, tornadoes and tsunamis using animated 3D models that viewers can step around, a Spider-Man AR photo booth and Wayfair’s 3D shopping app, which uses AR to let users place virtual furniture pieces in their homes and offices to see how they look.

Randall Grilli, director of media relations for Asus

Randall Grilli, director of media relations for Asus, sat down with AListDaily at the showcase event to discuss the ZenFone AR, which he describes as a top-of-the line smartphone that’s been purpose built for AR and VR.

“Most of the ZenFones are purpose built,” said Grilli, pointing to his own ZenFone 3 Zoom and explaining how it was created as a high-end camera phone. “I think that you’ll find that we purpose built a lot of our products. With the ZenFones in particular, we make phones for specific purposes or people. This (ZenFone AR) is purpose built for AR and VR, so you’ll buy it based on that.”

So, what audience does the world’s first AR and VR phone address, specifically?

“AR is pretty new, but there are a lot of different functions for it,” said Grilli. “So, it could be for a lot of different audiences, depending on what you’re looking for. For example, Google Expeditions is an education-based platform. We’re doing a lot with learning with it, and Tango is a learning tool—it learns the world around you and communicates it back—so applications can be varied. You’ll probably see a mix of education, mobile shopping and entertainment.”

Grilli also stated the early technology adopters were likely to be the target audience for the ZenFone AR, given the phone’s high-end specifications. Asus partnered with Google to develop some of the core Tango applications, particularly Expeditions, and it has worked closely with Qualcomm to ensure those apps run smoothly on the device.

Compared to the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, which released last fall, Grilli said, “The [Tango] platform is more mature, and the ZenFone AR has a much better spec, given that the Lenovo phone is a year old. Both run Tango, but this has a totally different set of sensors and cameras that are more sophisticated than what you’ll find on the Lenovo Phab 2.”

Discussing whether it was important for Asus to have the first fully capable AR/VR phone on the market, Grilli said, “It’s great to be first, but I don’t know if it’s important. It’s great that we have all these technologies that we’re able to combine in a portable way. You don’t have to have a giant computing system to have VR and AR, and that’s something that you’ll see that’s continuous throughout our product line.

“The ZenFone 3 Zoom is tiny with a thin form factor and lasts 42 days on standby. So, I think you’ll find that consistently throughout a lot of our products—making technology more accessible to more people in a small form factor is probably the most important aspect.”

For many consumers, one of the first things that comes to mind when hearing about mobile AR is Pokémon GO, the location-based mobile game that caught fire with mobile players last summer. However, the game ran on straightforward smartphones, so why should they be interested in Tango?

“Pokémon GO isn’t true AR in the strictest sense,” Grilli replied. “With Tango, you have three qualifying factors—motion tracking, the infrared sensor (for distance tracking) and the dual camera. Without those three combined, you’re not going to have that true experience. What you’re getting with Pokémon GO is an overlay on a map. But if you look at something like Expeditions, you’re getting true-to-life mapping and data points. It’s fixed on an object found in the real world, so it’s much more sophisticated technology.”

Grilli explained how AR in general might be more appealing to consumers than a single game, even one as big as Pokémon GO. “Not everyone likes to game, but everyone is into shopping,” he said. “So, you’re going to see richer shopping experiences come, which will be more interesting to consumers. We have different verticals here, including car-and-furniture shopping and education—and there are games too, of course, because they’re popular. We’re seeing more developers take advantage of the AR platform, and [someday] it will be as basic as software in the future—there will be a different flavor for everyone.”

All these applications are why the ZenFone AR’s catchphrase is, “Go beyond reality.” According to Grilli, the biggest incentive for brands to start taking advantage of AR comes from how the technology eliminates barriers.

“One of the things that makes Amazon so successful is that you can point, click and order online,” said Grilli. “But now we can take it a step further by seeing how things look in your house, trying clothes on for yourself, or creating a custom spec car and ordering it direct. These are all experiences that are moving closer to true-to-life, but from the comfort of wherever you are—your home, office or on-the-go.”

Grilli believes that experiencing AR and VR first-hand, in addition to growing the experiences to provide “more flavors for more people,” will be the keys to growing consumer adoption for the technologies. That is why Asus and Verizon partnered to host the showcase event. But ultimately, it all comes down to the in-store experience.

“We worked with Verizon closely on in-store training,” said Grilli. “It’s a new technology, so we want consumers to know about the experiences, and one of the ways to do that is in the stores. Representatives will be trained to show the different varieties of Tango AR apps you can use.”

Inside The NBA’s New Marketing Deal With Fitbit And Minnesota Timberwolves

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When NBA players hit the hardwood floor this fall, the jersey straps on their shoulders will look entirely different.

The league is making a pair of marketing moves when the season tips off in October, one being a new global apparel partnership with Nike that features the iconic swoosh logo occupying the longtime real estate once reserved for the Jerry West-inspired silhouette. The other is that each of the 30 teams will send players to the court on a nightly basis emblazoned with a brand-sponsored patch.

The NBA’s board of governors approved jersey sponsorships last year as part of a three-year pilot program that marries teams with brands both on-and-off the court, and more than a third of the league’s franchises have already secured sponsors. Each team is responsible for negotiating and selling their own jersey sponsorships, and 11 have already formed unions:

Boston Celtics (GE), Brooklyn Nets (Infor), Cleveland Cavaliers (Goodyear), Detroit Pistons (Flagstar Bank), Denver Nuggets (Western Union), Minnesota Timberwolves (Fitbit), Orlando Magic (Disney), Philadelphia 76ers (StubHub), Sacramento Kings (Blue Diamond), Toronto Raptors (Sun Life) and Utah Jazz (Qualtrics).

The patches are netting in the neighborhood of $3-to-$8 million per year, with pricing varying from glamour franchises with marketable stars to cellar-dwelling teams getting little play on national television.

The new branded format positions the NBA to provide deeper engagement with partners looking to build unique associations with its teams. In turn, the investments pad the pockets of both owners and a multi-billion-dollar league that’s looking toward innovation to allow for them to remain competitive in a global marketplace.

Basketball fans will not be forced to buy retail versions adorning sponsor patches, but teams have the option to sell the branded-jerseys in their own retail outlets.

AListDaily united the one-two punch of Tim Rosa, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Fitbit, and formerly the vice president of global brand development at Electronic Arts, and Ethan Casson, CEO for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx, and the COO and CRO of the San Francisco 49ers before that, to dish details on how this deal will shift the sports marketing landscape and what we can expect from their partnership moving forward.

Why were the Timberwolves and the market of Minnesota the best fit for Fitbit to partner with as the “official wearable,” “official sleep tracker” and jersey patch?

Rosa: When determining the NBA landscape in terms of sponsorship, the Timberwolves were a natural fit—this partnership provides a chance to work with a young, up-and-coming NBA team, dominant WNBA team and premier NBA developmental team. Both organizations are uniquely aware of the role data and analytics can play in improving performance and the partnership offers a chance to work across the whole Timberwolves organization, expanding our work in the corporate wellness space. Minnesota also makes sense for us—it’s home to many like-minded partners of Fitbit, including UnitedHealthcare. Duluth topped our “fittest cities” list this year, with Minneapolis taking second place last year.

Why was it important for the Timberwolves to partner with a wearables brand?

Casson: When we set out to find a partner for the jersey patch, we looked locally, nationally and even internationally to find who would be right for this opportunity. In Fitbit, we found an ideal partner at a time when our franchise is taking a fresh look at technology and innovation, and how it can be leveraged within our business to improve operations, fan experience and fan engagement. There are many synergies between our two companies—both of us are very focused on the role data and analytics play in our businesses, and on being innovators in our respective industries.

(Former Timberwolves star Zach LaVine’s first-hand experience using Fitbit Blaze, shortly before he was traded this offseason.)

Is the NBA introducing ad-sponsored jerseys a good thing for the league? What are you looking forward to learning most about the process?

Casson: The NBA continues to be at the forefront of these types of initiatives and we’re thrilled to partner with Fitbit on this new and powerful piece of inventory. With the popularity of the NBA game at an all-time high, I think the media exposure attached to the patch will be remarkable. . . . The patch provides another piece of inventory to start the conversation, and in the case of Fitbit, is one part of a much larger relationship. We’re looking at this as a bigger story around health and wellness, technology and innovation.

Fitbit positioned its brand on providing data and analytics. On the business side, how are you using data and analytics as part of your overall marketing strategy to reach fans?

Casson: Our emphasis on data and analytics has expanded tremendously over the past several years. Where our business intelligence unit started as a department of one, it has now grown to a department of eight people who are continually looking at ways to customize the experience for our fans. . . . We’ll be making a series of technology announcements, including new partners and upgrades, over the next several months. We recently announced a new app that will launch prior to next season through VenueNext, and we will continue to unveil significant technology upgrades tied to the re-opening of the renovated Target Center prior to the upcoming season . . . Our new app will give our team even more capabilities for gathering insights to help us understand our fans’ preferences, make customized recommendations and make informed business decisions about our fans’ behavior.

Why is it important for a sports franchise to tell a bigger story around innovation and health and wellness?  

Rosa: When we were looking at this opportunity, we saw the ability to extend our relationship beyond just a business sponsorship, and form a real partnership with the Timberwolves where we are working together and collaborating. Data from Fitbit wearables can help the Timberwolves on and off the court. While the NBA does not allow wearables to be worn during games, there is a lot of innovation happening around sensor technology and its placement. The goal is to create the awareness and really start to dig in with a team that is embracing innovation and technology, and use it in a lot of different ways. For example, seeing how sleep plays a role in performance and fitness, or how travel schedules and back-to-back games affect a player’s performance and recovery.

Jimmy Butler, acquired through a draft-day trade from Chicago, was introduced as a new member of the Timberwolves, complemented by Fitbit branding.

How are you going to leverage this pact to identify new ways that Fitbit can provide value to other brands?

Rosa: We believe that wearable technology is in a position to change the sports and fitness landscape—whether with everyday athletes or professionals. We’re committed to working together to identify new and innovative ways that our technology can help enhance and improve performance throughout the organization as it embarks on a promising future. We’re exploring opportunities for the Iowa Wolves to serve as a testbed for using Fitbit technology in new ways to enhance basketball performance.

How does a partnership like this fit into Fitbit’s overall marketing strategy?

Rosa: This isn’t our first work with the NBA—we have previously worked with the Warriors and Cavaliers in the area of corporate wellness, and announced an integration with NBA 2K17 to provide video game players with in-game rewards based on their real-world activity. We continue to embrace new partnerships with brands that share our vision for engaging the community and helping consumers lead active, healthy lives.

What are you most looking forward to getting out of this union?

Rosa: We’re excited about the opportunity this partnership provides to generate excitement and awareness around the value wearable technology can bring to the NBA. This will also raise the profile of wearables with everyday consumers and professional athlete.

Considering your new roster and excitement behind it, highlighted by the addition of Jimmy Butler, how will the Timberwolves be leveraging this as part of a larger rebranding strategy?

Casson: We have entered a new era of Timberwolves basketball—beyond the exciting roster, we also have new leadership on and off the court, a newly renovated Target Center hitting the finish line in time for next season, and are currently undergoing a rebrand. We unveiled our new logo in April, and soon we will be unveiling our new uniforms with Fitbit patches included on these brand new designs. The partnership with Fitbit is also absolutely a part of this new era. The announcement is just the first step and there are many directions we can go both on and off the court. We look forward to working alongside Fitbit to make this an exciting partnership over the next three years.

SuperData: Interactive Media Will Reach $105 Billion This Year

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The global interactive media market will reach $105 billion by the end of 2017, a 10 percent growth over last year, and it exceeds $100 billion for the first time. SuperData’s latest report, “Trends and Insights On Games and Interactive Media 2017,” reveals that the market covering video games, virtual reality and gaming video content will be more digital, virtual and female than one might expect.

“The modern gamer is more than the young male stereotype,” SuperData VP of research and strategy Stephanie Llamas told AlistDaily. “Women are becoming increasingly active on PC and console, making up two-thirds of those markets in the US.”

SuperData predicts that worldwide games and interactive media revenue will reach $168.8 billion by the year 2020, comprised mostly of digital game sales ($123.5 billion). Additionally, mobile revenue will increase by $6.7 billion this year while PC and console combined will add another $1 billion to the mix.

“Mobile titles cater to diversity by offering folks everything from hardcore gameplay to puzzles that help pass the time,” said Llamas. “In a culture where consumers want to customize all aspects of their entertainment, the massive portfolio of mobile games out there gives people even more a la carte options.”

Digital console game sales are expected to reach $3.7 billion this year, but SuperData says not to ignore additional content such as DLC and expansions. Additional content for games will account for a whopping $4.1 billion in 2017, according to the company’s calculations.

VR is finally emerging from of the “gap of disappointment,” says the report, with total earnings expected to rise 106 percent over 2016. Gaming is the primary use of VR, but the company says location-based experiences are gaining traction—serving as a gateway to adoption. Games account for almost 70 percent of virtual software revenue. By 2020, players will spend $4.5 billion on immersive gaming—more than 20 times what they do today.

Contrary to what you might think, not all game fans pick up a controller. Many enjoy watching someone else play due to a streamer’s skill, entertainment value or just living vicariously through a talented esports champion.

In fact, game video content (GVC) is the new TV. SuperData found that more people watch GVC than HBO, Netflix, ESPN and Hulu combined and the audience for this content is twice the size of the US population.

GVC viewers in the US are split 54/46 male to female, with an average age of 33 and average annual personal income of $58,000. Tuning in after work seems to be the most popular time to consume this content, with 22 percent watching game-related streams on weekday evenings. Gamers aren’t morning people, it seems—weekend and weekday mornings are the least popular watch times at four and five percent, respectively.

With such a wide variety of consumers engaged in the interactive entertainment market, it may seem overwhelming but SuperData is confident there’s a demographic for everyone.

“Since gaming has proliferated the mainstream, brands not only have a chance to access consumers inside the titles themselves but also through ancillary gaming media such as esports and online videos,” Llamas said. “From MMOs, which largely cater to young males, to the social casino games, which mostly attract mature females, games give brands access to any target demographic.”

IMAX, General Motors, Foxwoods, NHL’s Golden Nights Name New CMOs

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Stat Of The Week: Nearly 75 percent of chief marketing officers believe their jobs aren’t designed to let them have the greatest impact on their companies, according to a new Indiana University study. The survey says CMOs are frequently suffering from having poorly designed jobs, accounting for why they have the highest rate of turnover among all roles in the C-suite. The study found that more than 40 percent of CMOs have been in their roles two years or less, and 57 percent three years or less.

JL Pomeroy, a marketing executive with 25 years of international experience in luxury, media, and entertainment sectors, has been named chief marketing officer for IMAX and will be assigned to lead the entertainment company’s global marketing efforts.

“IMAX is one of the world’s most recognizable brands. As we continue to innovate and invest in new content and VR initiatives, our brand must evolve to reflect these new business priorities,” said IMAX CEO Richard L. Gelfond. “JL has a strong creative brand vision and a passion for content creation. Her success as an entrepreneur with a unique ability to ignite change will strengthen our brand and further cement IMAX as the global leader in immersive entertainment.”

Prior to joining IMAX, Pomeroy founded JumpLine Group, served as publisher with Modern Luxury Media where she launched Front Desk Los Angeles and was Cartier North America’s vice president of sales and marketing.

“IMAX has been a trailblazer in entertainment technology for nearly 50 years,” said Pomeroy. “The brand has long represented the ultimate movie-going experience, and is uniquely positioned to become the leader in immersive content. I am thrilled to be joining this incredible company at such a pivotal time as IMAX continues to shape the future of entertainment.”

Molly Peck has been appointed chief marketing officer for General Motors’ Middle East division, where she will be responsible for customer experience strategies and marketing programs for Chevrolet and GMC brands in the 10 Middle East markets in which GM operates. Peck previously was the director of marketing for Buick North America.

“Providing a world class customer experience is paramount at GM which is why we have entrusted this to Molly. I have no doubt that she is ideally positioned to drive our projects to connect with customers in what is an important year for Chevrolet and GMC,” said Mario A. Spangenberg, president and managing director of GM Africa and Middle East.

“With the advancements we see on the product, technology and customer service fronts, it’s certainly an exciting time to be at GM Middle East,” Peck said. “I look forward to working with our teams and dealers to provide customers with experiences and vehicles that are truly world class.”

The Las Vegas Golden Nights, the NHL’s latest expansion team, has hired Brian Killingsworth as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Killingsworth previously oversaw marketing and branding for two NFL franchises—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and St. Louis Rams—and the Tampa Bay Rays baseball franchise before that.

“The fact is, he’s a brand-builder,” said majority owner Bill Foley, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “He helped build back the Rays and his NFL experience will come in handy as well. He’s a low-ego person and we were fortunate to get him.”

“It’s a marketer’s dream to launch something from scratch,” Killingsworth said. “Las Vegas has shown it is hockey-ready. This market is a lot deeper than I thought it was and we have a chance to do some exciting things.”

Univision has promoted Steve Mandala to president of advertising sales and marketing to oversee the company’s suite of media offerings, including the Univision Network, UniMás, and UCI’s cable networks, as well as local media and digital.

“Steve is an exceptional media industry leader whose reputation for being effectual and original precedes him,” said Univision’s chief revenue officer Tonia O’Connor. “His unique sales and marketing acumen and strong leadership has been instrumental in delivering UCI’s engaged audiences to our advertising partners across the portfolio.”

“I am honored to lead our remarkable UCI advertising sales and marketing team as our industry and our company continue to rapidly evolve,” said Mandala. “I have the utmost respect for the company’s ubiquitous, valuable brand and the service it renders to our growing audiences. As the industry continues to evolve and diverse audiences, including US Hispanics, influence our country and culture, UCI will provide unparalleled experiences for advertisers to interact with these consumers. We have the finest sales professionals in the industry and, as we work even more collaboratively across UCI, I am excited about the future before us.”

Foxwoods Resort Casino is looking to grow its market share outside of the Northeast, as they’ve hired Suzanne Trout as chief marketing officer. Trout will oversee player development, international marketing, loyalty marketing, entertainment, PR, brand and advertising.

“Suzanne Trout is a long-time resort casino industry pro with an exceptional marketing mind,” said Felix Rappaport, president and CEO of Foxwoods Resort Casino. “Suzanne is the right senior executive at the right time given her strong gaming and brand expertise as we continue to grow into a fully integrated resort destination.”

ABC Entertainment announced a trio of key marketing appointments. Rebecca Daugherty will oversee the department and has been promoted to executive vice president of marketing; Erin Weir has been promoted to senior vice president of marketing and strategy; Jill Gershman has been promoted senior vice president of marketing creative.

“As a leader in an industry filled with creative superstars, Becky has been at the center of many of ABC’s most successful and memorable marketing campaigns,” said Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment. “She’s a gifted innovator whose keen ability to showcase our programs and talent across multiple platforms is especially assuring as we lead the charge into an exciting new season ahead. . . . I’m equally thrilled to promote Erin and Jill—two of our brightest marketing minds—to positions where they’ll be able to have an even greater impact on our future success. Bolstering Becky’s efforts by focusing on strategy, creative and operations, they complete an awesome trifecta of marketing leaders.”

Craig Coleman has been named vice president of marketing for the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Coleman, who previously led digital product marketing and client solutions for Gannett Digital and USA Today, will be tapped with harnessing data and analytics to drive the organization’s marketing efforts and to elevate brand messaging.

“Craig will leverage his extensive experience and skill set to drive deeper engagement with IAB members and widen our reach to the industry at large,” said David Doty, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the IAB. “He is a proven communications leader, who has delivered quantifiable results for digital publishers. Moreover, he has a strong background in what’s required in successful marketing today, ranging from customer acquisition to branded content, social media and making the most of mobile.”

Former Hyundai executive Jochen Sengpiehl is joining Volkswagen Group as its head of marketing for its VW passenger cars brand. Sengpiehl returns to the car company after heading VW marketing from 2006 to 2009.

Bruce Wallace has been hired to serve as senior vice president and chief marketing officer of National Western Life Insurance Company.

“The company has a great foundation in annuity and single premium life sales upon which to build,” said Wallace. “The challenge and opportunity is the same—increase the flow of periodic premium from domestic life products. National Western Life is perfectly poised to accomplish this, and that is why I am excited about this opportunity.”

Lori Lee, AT&T’s global marketing officer, will now assume leadership of AT&T International in addition to her previous responsibilities, the company announced.

Ed Chang has been named director of business strategy for EA’s competitive gaming division. In previous roles, Chang was the EIR for eSports and gaming at The Chernin Group and is also the founder at basikz.co.

Rishi Chadha has joined Twitter to head content partnerships for Twitter Gaming.

Gale Force Esports (GFE) has hired Roger Caneda as marketing manager, where he will be tasked with overseeing their soon-to-be announced Counterstrike: Global Offensive team.

GFE CEO Freddie Crespo Jr. said, “I am very excited to bring on Roger as our CS:GO and marketing manager. We are excited to see his vision carried out for our content and marketing plans as well as for what we have planned for CS:GO. Roger will be a huge addition to an already growing GFE.”

Wizard World announced the appointment of Brian Walton to lead the company’s cross-platform editorial efforts as director of content to bring the brand’s voice to its global fan community via digital, video, print and live activations.

“From our social content to our conventions, we want our live and digital platforms to inform and entertain the fans. We will soon become the authoritative voice of fandom, and a daily presence engaging and interacting with the fans of all facets of pop culture,” said John D. Maatta, Wizard World CEO and president. “We are thrilled that Brian has joined us to launch some exciting new initiatives. Brian’s experience building brands and digital infrastructure will translate into the amazing avenues which Wizard World will soon explore.”

AwesomenessTV has a new head for its network in Bonnie Pan, where she will oversee programming and strategy for editorial and video content across YouTube, social video platforms and all owned-and-operated platforms, including Awesomeness News.

“AwesomenessTV has grown from a YouTube channel to a fully distributed media brand that has become synonymous with Gen Z, reaching millions across every major platform out there today,” said president Brett Bouttier. “With Bonnie’s programming and audience experience, we’re confident she’ll take the growth of our network brand even further.”

(Editor’s Note: This post will be updated daily until Friday, August 4. Have a new hire tip? Let us know at editorial@alistdaily.com.)

Job Vacancies 

Sr. Brand Manager Trion Worlds Redwood City, CA
Sr. Public Relations Manager Trion Worlds Redwood City, CA
Trion Worlds Redwood City, CA
VP, Brand Marketing TOMS Los Angeles, CA
Director, Marketing Sony Music Entertainment New York, NY
Director, Brand Management Warner Music Group Nashville, TN
Director, Strategic Partnership Marketing NBC Universal Universal City, CA
Director, Talent Strategy & Influencer Marketing Disney Glendale, CA

Make sure to check back for updates on our Jobs Page.

Epic Games Introduces Modding To Hollywood And Branded Storytelling

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Epic Games is using the game Fortnite to make a name for itself and show the capabilities of its Unreal Engine 4 (UE4).

The game company is currently at SIGGRAPH (Special Interest Group on Computer GRAPHics and Interactive Techniques) in Los Angeles to show its latest UE4 tools using the three-minute cinematic trailer for Fortnite.

The internally built trailer was made in two months as an example to show their 3D real-time storytelling. Epic is positioning its technology to be at the forefront of a shift from rendered content to real-time 3D, which can possibly create a ripple for animation producers, brands and enterprise companies.

Marc Petit, enterprise general manager at Epic Games, told AListDaily that Epic has created a new hybrid pipeline for UE4 so that companies can continue to create content using existing software and infrastructure, but now it can be done in real-time.

“The benefits of moving to real-time [are] that it’s cheaper because you can let go of the render farms,” Petit said, referencing a 30 percent savings that clients in TV production are reporting. “It’s also a faster way to produce content. We’ve reached critical mass with real-time technology.”

Petit added that using Unreal also creates assets that can be used across multiple media including animation, video games, augmented reality and virtual reality. Another gaming angle that is now being explored by Hollywood is “modding,” which can be applied to storytelling for the first time. This opens up unique opportunities for brands that previously didn’t exist.

“In the Fortnite trailer, you can add logos to the T-shirts and product placement,” Petit said. “There are also more interesting uses like adding different story arcs where the content could behave differently each time you rewatch the trailer. There’s also the opportunity to introduce microtransactions to this type of content, where you could (in theory) trade the weapons the characters use in the trailer for a paid Star Wars lightsaber takeover.

Netflix is already creating interactive content for its Puss in Book and Buddy Thunderstruck kids’ shows, although it’s not using UE4 for those projects. But it’s a sign that these early choose-your-own-adventure-style shows are something Hollywood storytellers are already exploring. Disney Junior is also playing with interactive storytelling with its Amigo to the Rescue app.

“Modding will drive a lot of viewer engagement for TV, or the fusion of TV and film and this new world of media that’s evolving,” Petit explained.

Montreal-based Digital Dimension debuted Zafari at Epic’s SIGGRAPH press conference on July 31. The former visual effects house has created over 50 11-minute episodes of the kids’ TV show using UE4 technology. The series will debut in October in France with a global rollout with NBCUniversal afterward.

At GDC earlier this year, Epic Games partnered with Chevrolet to showcase how real-time tools could be used across commercial shoots, Google Tango AR and interactive customizable 4K displays with The Human Race featuring Camaro.

“People are fed up with interstitial video,” Petit said. “Having the brand inside the content is of value. Personalized branded content will be the future.”

Based on the current technology landscape’s advances, Petit believes that within five years, technology like UE4 will allow for real-time product placement. Advances in AR will also change the entertainment landscape. Peter Jackson’s studio showcased a UE4 demo at the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, and ILM also showed off UE4 in VR with a Darth Vader demo.

Disney Imagineering is working with Lucasfilm to use Unreal to expand their Star Wars-themed parks at Disneyland and Disney World for 2019. In addition to the Galaxy’s Edge parks, Disney is also introducing a Vacation 360 experience in a new Star Wars-themed hotel in Orlando.

“Real-time content is going to be required for these types of projects, and if they can share assets across the company it can save a lot of money,” Petit added.

Unbranded Luxury Goods Give Consumers The Look Without A Label

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Younger-skewing consumers are more interested in self-expression than labels, and experiences over things. It’s not just teenagers, however—a trend has emerged across generations in which consumers opt for replicating the look of the desired lifestyle rather than worry about fashion labels.

According to a recent report by VisionCritical, Gen Z respondents named “aesthetic” as the No. 1 thing they look for in the products they buy. Fashionable design matters to 67 percent, as well—more than any other generation.

“Consumers are becoming less focused on image and more focused on individuality—especially the younger generations,” Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group, said in a statement. “While the cachet of designer logos is still relevant for many, the days of consumers looking to be a part of a designer or brand movement are waning in favor of their desire to find the style and function unique to their personality and lifestyle.”

In the 12 months ending June 2016, a third of all designer handbags sold in the United States were discreet, in that they did not have prominent logos, NPD found. Baby boomers accounted for the largest segment of label-less consumers at 40 percent; teens and 20-somethings of Gen Z now represent eight percent.

Fashion magazines like Glamour and Hello! feature low-cost alternatives to celebrity looks for those who want the style without the price tag. The new Pinterest Lens, currently in beta, could take this concept to a new level of convenience. Users can simply take a photo of an item they like, and Pinterest automatically brings up similar items to browse.

A separate study by NPD found that 75 percent of all apparel purchases from April 2015 to April 2016 were from off-price retailers like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx. Consumers over the age of 45 represent more than half of off-price apparel buyers, NPD reported.

Woman shopping in store

Don’t weep for the luxury industry just yet, however. Management consulting firm Bain and Company predicts that the global luxury goods market will reach as high as €259 billion (roughly $307 billion) this year. Global management firm McKinsey & Company, meanwhile, notes that branded jewelry sales are on the rise. By the year 2020, 30-to-40 percent of jewelry sales will be of the branded variety compared to 20 percent in 2011.

In fact, young consumers aren’t afraid to purchase name-brand luxury goods if the look is right—especially when it comes to designer handbags.

Luxury brands are accommodating this “discreet chic” movement by making their label less obvious. Brands like Coach—famous for designs that center on its logo—are now offering less conspicuous options. Michael Kors uses distinct studs and grommets on his latest handbags instead of logos.

“Millennials have launched a movement of individuality en masse that is greatly influencing retail, including the fashion industry,” added Cohen. NPD’s report found that 81 percent of millennials said it was important to them that the logo on a handbag be subtle.

Like all fashions, the age of big logos may return. In the meantime, it’s all about the look—not the label.

3 Campaigns Inviting Fans Outside To Play

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Experiential marketing can be an effective way of engaging fans at festivals, expos and other events through exclusive content. When a campaign ventures into the consumers’ own neighborhoods, however, experiential marketing becomes a game everyone can play. These kinds of activations engage consumers by making memories with them and giving them a sense of accomplishment for participating.

Grand Theft Peanut

Planters’ famous NUTmobile has been spotted in cities across the US over the last month, offering unique photo opportunities along the way. Promoted with the hashtag #PlantersRoadTrip, the campaign didn’t seem any different than previous cross-country treks for the giant peanut-shaped trailer—until it got “stolen” by Richard the Nutcracker.

A devastated Mr. Peanut has enlisted the help of fans across the country, inviting them to report sightings of his beloved NUTmobile through a dedicated tip line (1-800-970-6903). The marketing stunt has resulted in thousands of encouraging messages across social media as fans play along in the hunt for Richard.

Surveillance footage of the “theft” has been viewed over four million times on Facebook and a call between Mr. Peanut and Richard reached over 300,000 views within a few days.

The stolen NUTmobile turned photo opportunities into a nationwide scavenger hunt, with the prize being able to reveal where Richard showed up next.

Believe It Or “Nope”

Annabelle: Creation launches in theaters August 11, but fans can spot the haunted doll—or rather, 13 of them—a week early. New Line Cinema teamed up with the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum in New York City’s Times Square to hide 13 Annabelle replicas from Mezco Toyz among the exhibits.

Visitors will receive a special map of the location to aid in their hunt. Those who spot all 13 dolls will get the chance to win tickets to an advanced screening of the horror film. Select guests will also receive other Annabelle: Creation items and merchandise from Mezco Toyz.

Finding a collection of haunted dolls among Ripley’s unusual artifacts seems fitting and just creepy enough to get fans ready for a good scare. Although, if you find Annabelle in your home, you’ve got bigger problems.

A Puzzle Of Global Proportions

The Layton game series is known worldwide for its puzzle prowess, so ahead of the release of Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaire’s Conspiracy, developer Level-5 created a new challenge—Layton World.

Dapper characters dressed in black began to appear at strategic locations around the globe every few days—each holding a puzzle. Sometimes they are live actors and other times, it is a photo. Hints to their location are given on social media through photos, challenging players to track them down in person.

Fans have been eager to find the locations as quickly as possible and share photos of each new puzzle as it appears. The Layton World web portal automatically translates messages so that everyone in the world can participate, transcending language barriers that would otherwise prevent such a campaign. The result is a global task force of puzzle lovers, each sharing clues, hints and interacting over their mutual love of puzzles.

Study: Engagement With Rewarded Ads Greatly Increases App Retention

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With millions of apps at consumers’ fingertips, discovery can be a real problem for some developers, much less retention. Tapjoy’s latest report, “The Impact of Rewarded Ads on App Retention” found that under 25 percent of observed app users are still on board after one week, but a rewarded ad can change everything.

Rewarded ads, as their name suggests, are opt-in engagements that reward users for participating. Unlike distracting banner ads or pop-ups, players only see rewarded ads when they choose to, and they earn in-game perks just for participating. For example, a player may earn extra moves for watching a 15-second video or virtual currency in a messenger app by taking a brief survey.

Tapjoy sampled the behavior of more than 500 million app users worldwide across nearly 10,000 apps in April of 2016 and June of 2017. The mobile advertising and monetization company saw app retention rates drop to just 22 percent after one week of installation and only 12 percent after one month.

Users who watched just one rewarded video during their first week had a 30-day retention rate of 53.2 percent—an increase of more than 300 percent over the average. Amazingly, players who watched seven videos during their first week went on to have a 71 percent retention rate after 30 days.

Engaging in a full-screen interstitial (FSI) during an app user’s first week raised their 30-day retention rate to 52.72 percent—a figure that increases with the number of first-week engagements. Offerwalls—a section of qualifying offers for users to choose from in order to earn rewards—saw a 30-day app retention rate as high as 55.83 percent.

“Developers should use all of the tools at their disposal—in-app messages to video, direct play videos, push notifications to video, etc.—to make sure that players have the opportunity to complete at least one rewarded video ad at some point during their first week post-install,” Tapjoy advises in the report.

No one wants their mobile game session interrupted by annoying ads, and even game developers aren’t thrilled with the practice. Some 51 percent of game developers called ads “a necessary evil” in a recent survey, and only 17 percent see them as “worth it.”

Studies show that users find ads (of the rewarded variety) very worth it. In fact, NPD found that a majority of mobile game users prefer to earn in-game currency.

Several developers have found success using a rewarded ad monetization platform—so much so that players will complain if the ads cease to work. When Hyper Hippo launched rewarded ads in its game Adventure Capitalist, players were quick to report bugs because they wanted to take advantage of the offers.

“There’s no better to way to know that we did the ads well than to have people say, ‘Hey! We can’t watch your ads. Fix it,’” said the game’s producer Anthony Pecorella.

When Rovio removed rewarded ads from its game Angry Birds Transformers, the players were not happy. “There was a backlash from that community saying ‘give us back our reward videos,’” Rovio executive vice president Wilhelm Taht told Gamasutra.

Rewarded ads aren’t just for games, although the practical applications within that space are obvious. The new LiquidSky mobile app offers virtual currency through an offerwall, and Tapjoy recently partnered with the Line messenger app to service rewarded ads to its 220 active monthly users. Line users are now able to earn “Line Points” for free by engaging with advertisements. These points can be traded for premium in-app stickers, themes and other types of content on the app.

“Get [users] to complete at least one rewarded ad offer, and their chances of long-term retention will increase significantly,” Tapjoy states in the report. “The more ads they engage with, the more valuable they will become for your app.”

‘Agents Of Mayhem’ Promotions Go For Big Laughs

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Although Volition has been around for over 20 years, making games such as Descent: Freespace, Red Faction and Summoner, the company is best known for the Saints Row franchise—which grew from being perceived as a Grand Theft Auto clone to a game series with a unique identity.

That identity includes a hilariously over-the-top style that often parodies pop culture and other popular game franchises like Mass Effect. The games are set in an open world playground where players are encouraged to run wild using special powers and absurd weapons such as the Dubstep Gun, which literally fires deadly tunes. Now Volition is ready to branch off with its newest game, Agents of Mayhem, which releases August 15.

Although Mayhem doesn’t bear the Saints Row name, it is a direct spin-off from one of the Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell endings, where God decides to create an alternate universe in which the Saints never meet. In Mayhem, players must choose between 12 different agents—each with their own personalities, abilities and weaponry—to form a three-person squad and fight an organization called Legion.

Will Powers, senior manager of marketing and communications at Deep Silver

Will Powers, senior manager of marketing and communications at Deep Silver, explained to AListDaily how the differentiating factor between the Saints Row and Mayhem came down to gameplay.

“A Saints Row game has cooperative play and custom character creation. Mayhem purposefully doesn’t have those things—it’s brand new and is its own thing,” said Powers. “The best way to describe it is that Saints Row is a parody of pop culture, where Agents of Mayhem is meant to be a comedy of comic book culture. Think Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Deadpool, Suicide Squad and so on. So, it made sense to make it its own thing.”

However, Mayhem is a Volition game, and that means players can expect an open world playground where they’re encouraged to make a variety of choices, especially when putting together their squad of agents. “These games are about having fun, so we want players to experiment and tweak their agents the way that they want,” said Powers. “That’s where we see the stickiness for these types of games—people get attached to making these characters their own.”

Converting Saints Row Fans

Powers admitted that the fan base was probably surprised when Agents of Mayhem was announced last year because they were expecting Saints Row V. But Volition likes to keep people on their toes, and Agents of Mayhem allowed them to start a brand new universe. So, the first challenge was to bring Saints Row fans over to the new game so that they would become its biggest advocates.

“We had to speak in their language, and that means giving them a reason to care,” Powers explained.

Deep Silver realized that players didn’t yet care about the Mayhem agents nor did they know exactly what the game was. So, the publisher made a point of showing the humor and drawing parallels to the Saints Row universe to establish it as part of the Volition brand.

“One key pillar of the campaign was subtly convincing Saints Row fans that they weren’t Saints Row fans—they’re Volition fans,” said Powers. “A tactic we’ve been using in our marketing, without overtly hitting people over the head with it, is putting Volition’s name more front-and-center. Once they become Volition fans, they care about everything the studio does, and that’s a huge shift. Rather than caring only about a single IP, they care about everything the studio puts out. That leverages the studio’s social, its weekly Twitch streams—everything. Fans care about the individual people there instead of the characters in an individual game.”

Leveraging Laughter

After leveraging the Saints Row fan base, the next step was to expand beyond it and establish Volition fans through Mayhem. The one thing Volition had to avoid was having Mayhem be compared to franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, which was a perception that hurt some of the early Saints Row games. To that end, laughter may be the key to success.

“There has been a significant tonal shift in the types of products that have been releasing lately, and that’s where we saw an opportunity during the campaign,” said Powers. “A large concentration of games are taking on very serious subject matters. Apocalyptic games like Nier: Automata and Horizon: Zero Dawn—they’re very good, fun games about very serious subject matters. These aren’t games that you’ll be laughing at constantly and although these games are of all different genres, we saw a kind of tonal fatigue for serious games.

“I think that between the political spectrum and everything, there is an opportunity to make people laugh. Comedy is thriving—especially in the late night TV world—right now, and people are starved for content in the gaming space that will allow them to laugh and relax instead of coming home from a serious day at work, seeing serious news and playing a serious game. That’s opened up an opportunity for us to come in and hammer our unique tone and why Volition has always created games that are over-the-top and crazy—they’re fun, but not meant to be taken seriously. That’s the market we see as a huge growth opportunity for this game.”

The Leaked YouPorn Video

One Agents of Mayhem promotion included a leaked game video on the adult video site, YouPorn, which was an idea Powers came up with. It took months of planning with lawyers and Deep Silver’s CEO to make it happen, but an in-game cutscene featuring a character named Hollywood (an ex-reality TV star turned Mayhem agent) was hosted on the adult site as a fake sex tape called Deep Under the Cover. It was followed by a humorous press release that addresses the leak, with lines such as:

“Judging by the curvature of his buttocks at 1:12 seconds and the angle of the money shot, that is, the shot where the male actor on screen is literally wearing a bag of money around his junk, it is impossible to tell if that is my client on screen and ask that the public give him the benefit of the doubt until things firm up and the facts become rock solid.”

“I want everything that I do in marketing to come from a game perspective,” said Powers, discussing the YouPorn activation. “What I mean by that is that I’m not going to market something that’s not in the game. I don’t feel like it’s genuine marketing and that you’re being disingenuous to the product if you’re not marketing something that’s not representative of the product. So, this wasn’t even a trailer—it’s an unedited in-game cutscene that we leaked.”

The idea was to get people outside of the normal communication channels talking about the game, with the joke being that a tame and humorous video (it’s also hosted on YouTube) can be found on a not-safe-for-work site. Additionally, the press release links to a download URL on YouPorn so that viewers can watch the video without having to visit the adult site.

Regardless of what people might think about pornography, the fact of the matter is that sites like Pornhub get over 100 million unique visitors per month. Furthermore, some adult sites have tried to establish themselves more like everyday brands. YouPorn in particular has done esports sponsorships in addition to other, more tongue-in-cheek, marketing campaigns.

“That target demographic aligns perfectly,” said Powers. “Their ComScore is better for our target demographic than IGN, and that’s no joke. So, we looked at how we could communicate with those people in a way that would be genuine to the product and wouldn’t feel like marketing like a side banner would.”

The YouPorn partnership, which was a free marketing opportunity, was a huge success. The Agents of Mayhem video ended up on YouPorn’s homepage within one hour of being posted because so many people watched it.

However, Powers explained that Deep Silver had to walk a fine line and make sure that it didn’t follow the same marketing campaign as Saints Row: The Third, which was originally published by THQ.

That game included the voices and likenesses of real porn actresses, and its marketing was about the adult entertainment industry, complete with a porn star car wash at E3. That wasn’t a campaign Deep Silver wanted to be associated with, so it had to figure out a way to speak to YouPorn’s audience “in a contextual way that made sense using content that was already in the product without being sleazy,” said Powers. “That’s a very difficult thing to do, and it’s a calculated risk in positioning the product, but we saw the reward as being way higher than the risk.”

Although Powers couldn’t yet get into specifics, he indicated that audiences should be on the lookout for a different kind of leaked tape to hit the internet sometime in the near future.

Creating An “After Hours” Fan Base

Image credit: Claparo-Sans

Tamer promotions include a partnership with DeviantArt to put together Agents of Mayhem: After Hours. In it, artists created images based on what they thought each Mayhem agent did in their spare time. For example, one likes to draw live portraits of tigers, and these stories may become part of the game’s lore.

“It goes back to giving people a reason to care,” said Powers. “We wanted people to see the characters’ personalities outside of what was projected through trailers and we wanted artists to create even more of a backstory. Seeing these characters from an artist’s and consumer standpoint leads to a couple of things. It becomes a curated focus test of how people are viewing these characters and if one is resonating more than the others, which could lead to the most iconic piece in our campaign.

“It also engages the most hardcore fans. When you get people to create something and then bless it as canon, that gives them a huge emotional attachment and reason to care about the project. They’ll become people who will evangelize your product. The genuineness of these advocacy programs is worth its weight in gold.”

Perhaps the biggest challenge in marketing a game like Agents of Mayhem is that there are so many aspects to it that it’s difficult to hone in on specific parts and communicate them in coherent ways without spoiling the plot. Powers said that Mayhem is about 50 percent bigger than Saints Row IV.

“If people just see one beat like a leaked sex tape or fan-made artwork, they might be confused over what the game is about. But it’s a good problem to have if they’re asking the right questions and want to learn more after seeing them.”