Never before has the storied Halo game franchise allowed its characters to be taken from their fictional sci-fi world and dropped into ours. In a new campaign for the RTS (Real Time Strategy) game, Halo Wars 2, Xbox and 343 Industries partnered with 215MCCANN and director Randy Krallman of Smuggler to do just that.
The campaign imagines its two major characters, the alien giant General Atriox and heroically human Captain Cutter, engaged in a War of Wit–in relatable, real-life comedic situations in which the two use their strategic military minds to fight it out over the ownership of an airplane armrest and the price of a used car.
The latter, titled “The Sale,” has the two larger than life protagonists haggling over the price of a car–General Atriox being the used car salesman, and Captain Cutter as the prospective customer.
The key to victory, as strategy gamers will appreciate: Know your enemy.
The series of films will appear globally in a variety of owned and paid channels (UK broadcast, online and social) with bespoke Snapchat and YouTube bumper executions that tease the films. The 215 team even partnered with the real-life car dealership in one of the films, arranging for General Atriox to be featured as a somewhat alarming employee on their actual website, further blurring the line between the sci-fi game, marketing, and real worlds.
Credits
Client RTS (Real Time Strategy)/Halo Wars 2 Agency 215MCCANN Scott Duchon, chief creative officer; Neil Bruce, creative director; Alper Kologlu, sr. art director; Kyle Davis, copywriter; Brandon Romer, executive producer; Sarah Sweeney, producer; Brian Wakabayashi, director of strategy; Ryan Ouyoumjian, brand strategist. Production Smuggler Randy Krallman director; Patrick Milling Smith, Brian Carmody, Shannon Jones, exec producers; Andrew Colon, COO; Ian Blain, line producer; Darko Suvak, DP. VFX Electric Theatre Collective (ETC), Santa Monica, Calif. Kate Hitchings, exec producer; Scott Boyajan, producer; Eric Mason, lead Flame; Gretchen Capatan, Kevin Jones, Dave Damant, 2D artists; Adam Singer, graphic animation. (Toolbox: Flame, Nuke, After Effects). Editorial Cartel Andy McGraw, editor; Matt Berardi, assistant editor; Meagen Carroll, head of production; Lauren Bleiweiss, exec producer; Marc Altshuler, managing director. Telecine Company 3 Dave Hussey, colorist; Ashley McKim, exec producer; Liza Kerlin, color producer; Jim Harmon, color assistant. Sound Design Brian Emrich, sound designer. Audio Post Lime Studios Jeff Malen, mixer; Susie Boyajan, exec producer
Stain remover Vanish presents this emotional short film--created by BETC Havas, Sao Paulo, and produced by LOBO--that explores the profound consequences of bullying and highlights the importance of open conversations between parents and children. Titled The Bully Monster, the animated film premiered at the Maquinaria Festival in Rio de Janeiro on February 15 in a special edition featuring family-focused programming.
The film’s protagonist is a boy who experiences bullying at school but keeps silent about his suffering. Isolation turns sadness into insecurity, creating invisible emotional scars that only grow in the absence of dialogue. When his mother notices stains on his uniform, these marks become the starting point for a revealing conversation. As words find space to make themselves heard, the stains begin to fade.
This initiative aligns with the Vanish Saves Your Uniform campaign, which, for the past three years during the back-to-school season, has engaged with parents by positioning the brand as a trusted partner in preserving school uniforms. This year, Vanish decided to broaden the conversation, bringing bullying into the debate as the real stain that can impact a child’s life.
The Bully Monster is being screened as preshow material in movie theaters starting February 20 and will also be available on streaming platforms and digital channels. In addition to the film, the campaign will include out-of-home activations and school initiatives through a partnership with Abrace – Preventive Programs, the founding organization of the “Bullying-Free Schools” program, which has been equipping institutions with resources to combat school violence for 12 years.
“Research indicates that stains on a uniform can... Read More
