NEED FOR SPEED UNBOUND

Reigniting a Street Racing Icon Through Culture

Reignited Need for Speed with a culture-first, creator-powered campaign -boosting brand favorability, engagement, and launch performance across global markets.

Challenge

Need for Speed was back; but it had to matter again. EA aimed to restore cultural relevance, reshape perception, and spark renewed intent to play.

We had just 9 weeks to reframe a legendary franchise into a fresh cultural force — fusing gameplay truth with bold cultural cues from fashion, music, and street racing.

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A BRAND REFRESH POSITIONING NFS IN CULTURE

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Approach

Built a multi-phase global launch campaign anchored in the idea of “Electrify the Mundane” — turning everyday moments into pulse-raising experiences.

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KEY MOVES:

Cultural Drop Structure: Orchestrated 9 themed “drops” to maintain momentum and surprise — from “The Drip” (fashion) to “Maximum Pressure” (gameplay challenges).


Fashion Collabs: Teased and revealed capsule collections with Palace and Balmain — connecting in-game style to real-world credibility.


Digital + Retail Fusion: Blended physical drops (limited editions, in-store moments) with digital hype cycles and platform takeovers.

A$AP Rocky Integration: Revealed the game with Rocky live at Rolling Loud. His custom car, music, and style became central to the campaign’s creative.



Creator-Led Expression:Equipped creators to remix the brand — from UGC challenges to curated takeovers like “Change Your Lane” — enabling high-impact partnerships with top national talent to boost reach and cultural relevance in key markets.

Reveal Trailer (+6M views)

ASAP ROCKY INTEGRATION

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A$AP Rocky IRL Car Reveal – Straight Outta the Game (+1M views)

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FASHION COLLABS

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Partnership with Palace Skateboards

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CREATORS LED EXPRESSION

US – Kervin – Carousel 1
DE – Stefan (1)

Matt Armstrong

+4.6M followers

Brisseaux

+40K followers

Mike Will

279K followers

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US – Temi Coker

Temi Cooker

+140K followers

UK – Troy Browne

Troy Browne

129K followers

Ssneak

+2M followers

EXCLUSIVE LAUNCH EVENT

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Outcome

Brand Sentiment Up: Revived fan excitement and shifted perception with a culturally-charged brand reframe.

Global Engagement: Millions engaged across creator content, drops, and UGC activations.

Commercial Impact: Drove strong pre-orders and launch momentum — helped establish Unbound as a style-forward reboot for the franchise.

Company: EA 

Year: 2022

Role: Brand & Marketing Strategy + Creative Strategy

Ambitious brand vision?

Let’s bring it to life.

Live Feeds:

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© Alexandre MEYER 2025

Shaping What's Next