For die-hard Madden gamers, the August release of the EA Sports’ Madden NFL video game is like having Christmas come early. That’s the idea behind the campaign for Madden NFL 2007, which includes a TV spot, a radio component and an interactive Web site created by San Francisco-based Freestyle Interactive. Wieden + Kennedy handled all aspects of the campaign.
“For many years the day that Madden is released has always been a big deal for people who love the game. We wanted to leverage that and amplify it and celebrate that more,” explained Chris Gatewood, creative director, Freestyle Interactive. “And for people who may have played the game a long time ago and who have lost interest, we wanted to bring it to the forefront and make it more of a cultural event. That’s how we arrived at the Maddenoliday–kind of spoofing Christmas.”
Like the TV spot that features carolers singing about the joy that will be felt by all the gamers, cookies in the shape of gaming consoles baking and people chopping down goal posts so they can bring them home and decorate them, the site, www.maddenoliday.com, is festive.
Designed like a fireplace decorated with stockings (socks), football lights and garland, there are all kinds of spots embedded in the site that can be clicked on to spread Maddenoliday cheer–fans can order the game, check out screenshots, watch the TV spot, send Maddenoliday cards, download wallpapers and count down the days until the release date with their own Maddvent calendar.
Behind each window of the calendar lies a surprise. For example, there are videos highlighting the newest features of Madden NFL 2007, recipes for snacks to have on hand when playing the game and stories relating the most celebrated Maddenoliday traditions, such as leaving ribs and a tall, frosty glass of root beer out on the mantle on Maddenoliday Eve. Stories about how the holiday is celebrated around the globe are also part of the calendar. And to really get in the holiday spirit, visitors can also download carols, shake a snow globe and receive some Maddenoliday tidings or create a cross-stitch message and send it to a friend.
“We wanted to sprinkle the calendar with some things that were expected like screenshots and videos, but we also wanted to create enough unique content so someone would find something that another friend would enjoy and then send it to them,” Gatewood said.
The content in the Maddvent calendar was unlocked every other day until the August 22 release date. The last day featured video footage (shot in L.A. exclusively for the Web site) of NFL MVP and NFC Champion running back Shaun Alexander–who appears on the cover of Madden NFL 07–talking about his Maddenoliday memories.
Because the Freestyle Interactive team was working with video, audio and multiple videos in single pages, they used Flash 8 to secure the broadest range of capabilities. “We were a little worried that some of our audience might not have that yet. We did a site back in February and there was only about 50 percent penetration of Flash 8,” Gatewood said. “But the good news is now it’s much higher, I think it’s up to 85 percent. We also figured most gamers are probably up-to-date on this stuff and even if they’re not, if they are excited about the game, it would be enough to drive them to get the plug-in.
The biggest challenge about the project was the short time frame to complete the project–they had about three weeks. “We had to weigh how far we could go with the unique content we created,” said Gatewood.
But the variety of that content is what made the project so rewarding. “There were so many different types of content that we got to create. It involved a lot of copywriting and imagination. For instance, we had Maddenoliday around the world, so we brainstormed on how people would celebrate around the world. It was one mini site, but it felt like a lot of experiential depth,” Gatewood said.
Is “Glicked” The New “Barbenheimer”? “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” Hit Theater Screens
"Barbenheimer" was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn't stopped people from trying to make "Glicked" — or even "Babyratu" — happen.
The counterprogramming of "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer" in July 2023 hit a nerve culturally and had the receipts to back it up. Unlike so many things that begin as memes, it transcended its online beginnings. Instead of an either-or, the two movies ultimately complemented and boosted one another at the box office.
And ever since, moviegoers, marketers and meme makers have been trying to recreate that moment, searching the movie release schedule for odd mashups and sending candidates off into the social media void. Most attempts have fizzled (sorry, "Saw Patrol" ).
This weekend is perhaps the closest approximation yet as the Broadway musical adaptation "Wicked" opens Friday against the chest-thumping sword-and-sandals epic "Gladiator II." Two big studio releases (Universal and Paramount), with one-name titles, opposite tones and aesthetics and big blockbuster energy — it was already halfway there before the name game began: "Wickiator," "Wadiator," "Gladwick" and even the eyebrow raising "Gladicked" have all been suggested.
"'Glicked' rolls off the tongue a little bit more," actor Fred Hechinger said at the New York screening of "Gladiator II" this week. "I think we should all band around 'Glicked.' It gets too confusing if you have four or five different names for it."
As with "Barbenheimer," as reductive as it might seem, "Glicked" also has the male/female divide that make the fan art extra silly. One is pink and bright and awash in sparkles, tulle, Broadway bangers and brand tie-ins; The other is all sweat and sand, blood and bulging... Read More