Event Marketer Summer 2023 - 67

BEST P.R. STUNT
Having launched just a year earlier and still gaining traction as a
new streaming service, Paramount+ came to SXSW 2022 ready
to introduce its live-action adaptation of the popular Halo video
game series. Highly anticipated among fans of the 20-year-old
military sci-fi game franchise, the show weaves characters'
personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined
vision of the future.
To capture fans' excitement, honor the games' legacy and
GOLD AWARD
CAMPAIGN: Halo Drone Activation
at SXSW
CLIENT: Paramount+
PARTNERS: Giant Spoon, Drone
Dudes
cut through the festival's entertainment-focused activations,
Paramount+ debuted the first-ever drone show over SXSW.
More than 400 drones flew in synchronized formation depicting
iconic imagery like character silhouettes and vehicles from the
Halo universe, stretching 600 feet across the night sky above
Austin, TX, and flashing on and off in interchanging bright blue,
white, purple and red lights.
The city's first drone light show ended with a QR code
formation that led viewers to a branded microsite and the series'
full trailer. Presented as the hacked computer of Dr. Catherine
Halsey, Paramount+'s " Halo " transmedia site immersed users
in the world of the show. The drone activation launched in
conjunction with " Halo's " series premiere at the festival and
flew a total of six times over two evenings.
BEST P.R. STUNT
Ford is moving forward into its electric era, investing more than
$50 billion in EVs globally through 2026 and having already
electrified its most iconic products. Still, when the brand unveiled
a new gas-powered Mustang in September 2022, it had some
journalists questioning Ford's electrification strategy. Adding
in that Ford's next reveal would be an all-new gas- and dieselpowered
Super Duty truck, the brand needed to be intentional
about its messaging to reinforce its stand on EVs, particularly the
strategy that profits from internal combustion-powered vehicles
are used to help fund Ford's EV future.
With the Super Duty's reveal theme being " This one is for
SILVER AWARD
CAMPAIGN: KenTRUCKy Ford
Super Duty Reveal
CLIENT: Ford Motor Company
PARTNER: Imagination
the builders, " Ford focused on the role heavy-duty trucks play in
building the economy, illustrating use-cases for trucks that go
beyond what EVs can do today. Ford told real customer stories
and played up its significant impact in Kentucky, where Super
Duty is built, leveraging the brand's sponsorship of the Kentucky
Derby to host the reveal event at Churchill Downs Racetrack.
" KenTRUCKy " was the word of the day, with the governor
signing a proclamation making it official and KFC altering its
brand to KenTRUCKy Fried Chicken on Twitter. The racetrack
venue saw 1,400 journalists, plant employees, dealers,
customers and Kentucky government representatives attend
for the reveal event, which also drove 230,000 visits to the Super
Duty website in one week.
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Event Marketer Summer 2023

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