Troika created a branded video campaign for EA Sports to drive brand attribution and connect the parent brand back to their Madden, FIFA, NHL, and NBA properties. The spots aim to deliver a unified, branded EA Sports experience as titles load for each game. Footage captured for the campaign will also be featured in marketing assets for EA Sports' digital Season Ticket offering, and will anchor a set of branded videos featured on LED screens in Times Square and Las Vegas.
EA Sports aimed to develop a system of videos that play as games load, positioning the brand between the gamer and game in an effort to drive attribution back to the EA Sports umbrella brand. To unify the EA Sports experience across multiple titles, a unique story was built for each sport, but written, shot, and treated within similar design aesthetics and narratives to deliver on the brand promise of "igniting the emotion of sports."
Troika built the series of videos around a Be the Ball concept; a visceral experience that blurs the line between real life and CG to immerse gamers into the world of EA Sports. The spots follow a ball's journey from the factory to the final play and aim to build a consistent style that gamers will come to recognize as distinctly EA Sports. Graphic abstractions of the EA Sports logo overlay heavily stylized footage of athletes to further drive recognition back to the EA Sports brand.
A live-action shoot was directed by Troika to capture athletes performing in professionally sanctioned gear. Footage was shot around various facilities in Southern California, and environments were polished in After Effects to evoke an authentic, professional feel. Final spots were edited, treated in post-production, and build with custom sound design for EA Sports to implement into each game. Unedited footage was delivered along with the spots and used as the basis for an outdoor brand campaign in New York City and Las Vegas, and for EA Sports' Season Ticket marketing materials.
The video campaign was developed by a team of 15 designers, animators, editors, and producers at Troika, and will roll out with the launch of each property throughout the fall.