LAUNCH CAMPAIGN
Expanding the Target Market of a Beloved Niche Horror Franchise
With the launch of Resident Evil Village, Capcom needed to reach players outside of its survival-horror niche. Although Resident Evil is a genre defining brand with a 30-year legacy and a dedicated cult following, in order to achieve aggressive sales goals, they had to find a way to attract action-adventure gamers who might be averse to a total horror experience. Our answer was to market Resident Evil Village like a movie—focusing on its rich narrative to broaden its appeal among players who crave story-driven entertainment.
THE SPOT
REDDIT ACTIVATION
The Merchant's Quest
Because our launch campaign was primarily focused on attracting a newer audience, we were tasked to create something that reassured fans that Resident Evil Village would deliver on the experience they know and love. So we crafted a week-long alternate reality game (ARG) called the Merchant’s Quest, that give players a feel for the game without spoiling any of its content.
The ARG told the story of a humble village merchant in need of help to restore a collection of valuable books—inviting players to work together and aid him by solving intricate puzzles similar to the challenges Resident Evil games are known for. Reddit served as the hub, with clues hidden in images, videos, audio and other multimedia hidden throughout the internet.
