Halo 3 marketing

Did You Know?

• The public beta test of Halo 3's multiplayer ran from May 16 to June 6, 2007, and was extended until June 10 to compensate for download issues.
• The alternate reality game component of Halo 3's marketing was called 'Iris' and involved a user named 'AdjutantReflex' appearing in official Halo 3 forums after the public beta ended.

Development

Microsoft gave the Halo 3 marketing team a clear directive from executive Peter Moore: avoid failure. Jeff Bell, Microsoft’s former corporate vice president of global marketing, oversaw much of the effort. The team identified an early hurdle: while dedicated gamers already knew the game was on the way, there was a perception issue. Product manager Chris Lee noted the goal was to draw people into the Xbox 360 and treat Halo 3 as a mainstream entertainment product, not just a game for enthusiasts. Since Halo 3 was exclusive to the Xbox 360, the campaign also aimed to boost console sales, which had been struggling.

Microsoft’s strategy used five phases to reach both casual and hardcore players. It began with a television commercial, followed by a beta test to generate preorders and media buzz. Next came an alternate reality game, then partner promotions, and finally a campaign called “Believe.” Although viral marketing like the ARG was part of the plan, the company leaned heavily on traditional media. Because the gaming community was already excited, Microsoft skipped a social media push, trusting fans to spread the word. The focus on conventional outlets was meant to grow the audience beyond core gamers and position the title as a cultural event.

To build hype, Microsoft publicly predicted that Halo 3 would break sales records, specifically the $166 million Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows set in July 2007. The internal sales target was 1.5 million copies. Research showed that loyal “Halo faithful” would likely buy only 75 percent of that, leaving 375,000 copies to be sold to people outside the existing fan base. The marketing team raised its ambitions: instead of just hitting that number, they aimed to make Halo 3 the biggest entertainment launch ever.

Promotional videos

Bungie’s marketing for Halo 3 leaned heavily on video content. They created their own behind-the-scenes documentaries called ViDocs, which covered topics like redesigning the Brute enemies, new multiplayer features, and other game elements. The first ViDoc came out soon after the game was announced, and the last one appeared on September 20, 2007. The game itself was first revealed with a real-time cinematic trailer at Microsoft’s E3 2006 press conference on May 9.

That trailer takes place on the dry plains of Africa, showing the wreckage of a space elevator and other destruction. The Master Chief emerges slowly through smoke and dust, with distorted images of the AI Cortana flickering in. Her message mixes lines from the Cortana Letters and a quote from the poem “The Hollow Men.” A Bungie staff member explained that the strange, almost Satanic voice was meant to hint at her unknown fate, saying they didn’t know what had happened to her or even if it was really Cortana.

The trailer’s music, by Martin O’Donnell, added piano and brass to the familiar Halo theme. Advertising agency McCann Erickson produced a second trailer that aired just once, on December 4, 2006. It blended computer-generated imagery with live-action footage, with Digital Domain handling the CG and Joseph Kosinski directing. Called “Starry Night,” it reached 7.9 million viewers during its broadcast and had over 3.5 million views on YouTube by September 2007. The final trailer, shown at E3 2007 on July 11, used actual campaign cinematics and gameplay footage.

Merchandise and promotions

When Halo 3 launched, it came alongside a wave of action figures, games, and collectibles. WizKids put out a Clix-based tabletop miniatures game called Halo ActionClix on September 18, 2007, with tiny figures of characters and vehicles from the Halo universe. Some of these figures appeared in promotional bundles, and in the UK, Gamestation gave a Master Chief figurine to the first 1,000 people who pre-ordered the Halo 3 Legendary Edition. While Joyride Studios had made earlier Halo figures, Todd McFarlane produced several sets tied to Halo 3.

These included articulated figures released through 2008 and larger, more detailed 12-inch statues that came out in November. Other companies also got involved: Kotobukiya, a Japanese firm known for high-end statues and replicas, and Weta Collectibles, a branch of the special-effects company Weta Workshop. In August, Weta Collectibles auctioned four of their statues on eBay, each cast in solid sterling silver. Microsoft teamed up with various brands for Halo-themed merchandise and in-store promotions.

PepsiCo made a special Mountain Dew flavor called Game Fuel, and 7-Eleven sold it as a Slurpee. Burger King ran a promotion starting September 24, 2007, wrapping their food in packaging decorated with Halo designs and characters. Microsoft also sponsored the number 40 car driven by David Stremme for Chip Ganassi Racing in the Dover 400 Nextel Cup Series. That racecar sported a Halo 3 paint job, with the game’s title on the hood and rear bumper and large images of Master Chief on both rear fenders.

Launch and impact

More than ten thousand stores across the United States threw midnight launch parties for Halo 3, and similar events popped up globally. Microsoft organized its own multi-city launch bashes, while Bungie employees traveled worldwide to host celebrations, including one at their own office. Larry Hryb showed up at the New York City event. Sponsored launches gave away prizes and let fans play Halo against celebrities and Bungie developers.

London’s BFI IMAX Theater was entirely dedicated to the game, though some UK areas canceled midnight launches out of fear that huge crowds would get out of hand. Halo 3 was a massive hit right away. It pulled in $170 million in U.S. sales on its first day, beating any other American entertainment property’s 24-hour earnings up to that point. By the end of the first week, it added another $130 million, and by the end of the month, it had sold 3.3 million copies.

By 2008, U.S. sales hit 4.8 million units, with 8.1 million worldwide, making it the best-selling game of 2007 in the United States. Critics and commentators saw the huge marketing push and launch as proof that video games had truly entered the mainstream. Steve West of CinemaBlend.com pointed to the Halo 3 phenomenon as a sign that games, like movies, radio, and TV before them, were gaining wider acceptance in popular culture. At the PRWeek awards, Microsoft and Edelman took home the "Technology Campaign of the Year" prize for the Halo 3 launch.

The "Believe" campaign won the top honor, the GRANDY, at the 2008 ANDY Awards. Halo 3’s advertising also snagged five gold cubes, one silver cube, and two merit certificates at the Art Directors Club Annual Awards Ceremony, with most of those awards tied to the Believe campaign.