03/ — Marketing & Campaign Strategy
A race before the race.
At a glance
Challenge
Combine the excitement of Black Friday (peak consumer activity) with the exclusive in-game availability of the Las Vegas GP track, into a proposition that drives play and purchase.
Approach
A unique virtual race before the actual race: an invitation to join the Las Vegas GP online, backed by pro-driver content, an open competition and a discount week.
Impact
The Las Vegas track became a key engagement driver during Black Friday; transforming a commercial holiday into a celebration of exclusivity and first-to-market gaming.
Vegas hadn't raced yet. Players could.
Formula 1 was about to hit the Strip for the first time and F1 23 already had the circuit. Nobody in the world had raced it for real.
That gap between anticipation and access was the campaign's engine. With the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix landing in Black Friday week, EA SPORTS held something no broadcaster, ticket or highlight reel could offer: the chance to drive the track before the drivers did.
Dare to join the race.
A special invitation to race the Las Vegas GP online before the lights went out on the real one.
The invitation was surrounded by core content that connected authentically to the sport, broadened reach beyond the sim-racing core, and gave the week a commercial edge.
Pro drivers show the track
Real F1 drivers previewed the circuit in the game an authentic bridge between the sport and the sim, capped by a live virtual showrun featuring Charles Leclerc.
An open competition
A unique event competition invited everyone onto the grid broadening reach beyond the franchise's core players.
The Black Friday edge
A special discount offer ran through the week, converting the hype of the race moment at the year's peak of purchase intent.
One night in Vegas
The beat culminated in a live spectacle at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas creators, celebrities and drivers racing the strip in-game as the city prepared for the real thing.
"Drive the track before the drivers do."
First on the grid.
The Las Vegas GP track was successfully positioned as a key driver of engagement through Black Friday.
A commercial holiday was reframed as a celebration of exclusivity and first-to-market gaming experience early engagement and hype built worldwide ahead of the Grand Prix debut.
LAS VEGAS SHOWRUN
Daring players to join the race before Vegas lights up.
Rallied players worldwide to take the wheel—driving early engagement and hype ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix debut
CHALLENGE
Black Friday meets Grand Prix
Strategically fuse the hype of Black Friday with the exclusive in-game debut of the Las Vegas GP track—turning peak consumer momentum into a compelling reason to play and purchase.
APPROACH
Virtual race before the real race
We created a special invitation for people to join the Las Vegas GP race online highlighting the unique exprience: anyone would be able to race on the new track before the pro drivers.
Complemented by content that connected authentically to the sport—with pro drivers showing the track in the game, a unique event competition to broaden reach, and a special discount offer during the week.
Extended a key commercial moment into a week-long campaign
Announcement video
Social clip / Daniel Cormier x Cameron Jordan
Max & Joshua collab to expand reach
Daniel Ricciardo shared a First Look at the track in the game ahead of the event & GP
A Custom Design System
A custom visual identity to elevate the moment and make the celebration stand out extending a key commercial moment into a week-long campaign.
OUTCOME
Converting hype into engagement
Successfully positioning the Las Vegas GP track as a key driver of engagement during Black Friday, transforming a commercial holiday into a celebration of exclusivity and first-to-market gaming experiences.
7.6K
Social Conversations
12.9M
Video Views on YouTube
85.4
Sentiment Benchmark
+76%
Installs above Forecast
COMPANY
EA SPORTS
YEAR
2023
ROLE
Brand Marketing Ceative Strategy