Ever wondered what it would be like if a Viking retired to the suburbs? Battery, the Los Angeles-based creative advertising agency, readies Rise of Kingdoms players for an all-new civilization of Vikings with a fresh campaign airing on OTT and digitally in the U.S., Canada and Australia. The latest Vikings map brings unrivaled degrees of freedom to the world's first true RTS gameplay from Lilith Games, which is currently ranked among the top five largest Chinese mobile gaming publishers.
In the centerpiece live-action spot, a gritty Norse warrior (played by Vikings alum actor Alexander Ludwig) finds himself in the hinterlands of suburbia. The sparkly residential neighborhood makes for the perfect comedic backdrop as our Viking hero attempts to go about his day, yet his scarred mug and handy mead horn cause him to repeatedly fend off questions from a nosy neighbor.
Driven by a sweeping score and graded in icy-blue, award-winning director Rick Darge creates cinematic vignettes of brute Viking strength. Then we’re zipped right back to real-world suburbia by the inquisition of a busybody neighbor in the yard, confirming a plague that has been rampant since the Middle Ages. Because sometimes after a long day of reaving, all you want to do is relax and play Rise of Kingdoms in peace.
Joe Sgro, Creative Director at Battery, comments, “We were really excited to team up with Lilith again, and got a great opportunity to work with a real Viking in Alexander Ludwig (who’s technically Canadian, but can grow a beard on command). Our director, Rick Darge, did an amazing job and he just so happens to look like a Viking from New Jersey. Couldn’t be happier with how this turned out.”
