Ideation | Art direction | Creative direction | Creative leadership | Earned | Emerging tech | Experience design
Kraken - The Horror IRL
The Kraken Black Spiced Rum has always centred its marketing around immersive Halloween events, engaging more fans each year. With live events canceled in 2020 due to Covid, Kraken’s Screamfest had to go digital.
Recognising that many Kraken fans are gamers, we commissioned legendary Rockstar Games visionary John Zurhellen to create ‘Screamfest IV: The Kraken’s Revenge’. This groundbreaking video game allowed fans to remotely control a real-life avatar (Game of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon) through a terrifying fortress, blending gaming with real-world horror and marking the world's first IRL horror gaming experience.
I led the creative direction for the entire production, encompassing the game technology and art direction of the experience and campaign assets. This included everything from set dressing for the location of the live-streamed game to developing the actual digital game user interface. I collaborated closely with John, our designers, and our developers to create this world-first project.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the digital pivot led to the most successful Screamfest ever. Tickets sold out in 24 hours with 15,000 applications. The campaign earned 100+ media pieces, achieving a reach of 1.4 million and 6.4% engagement, surpassing all KPIs.
Screamfest IV won ‘Best At-Home Experience’ at The Drum Awards for Experience, turning pandemic constraints into a record-breaking event.
Business results were equally impressive. Kraken reported sustained sales growth from April to December 2020, with significant uplift in Amazon sales and click-throughs for the Screamfest recipe kit. The campaign not only kept the Halloween spirit alive but also expanded Kraken’s fanbase and digital presence.
Outcome
Most successful Screamfest ever
15,000 applications
Tickets sold out in 24 hours
100+ media pieces
1.4 million reach
6.4% engagement