Clash of Clans - Clash from the Past
Clash of Clans approached Wieden+Kennedy Portland, wanting to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. The client needed to elevate the mobile game's status to that of legendary franchises like Mario, reigniting fan passion and ensuring long-term engagement. The challenge was to create lore and deepen connection, making Clash of Clans feel culturally significant beyond typical mobile game recognition.
Creative Idea
Clash of Clans created a fake 40-year history and retro games, making fans question their memories to elevate its legendary gaming status.
For its 10th anniversary, Clash of Clans created an elaborate fictional 40-year history of the game, producing a 20-minute documentary and three retro video games that made fans believe the mobile game had existed since 1982. The campaign aimed to elevate Clash of Clans to the status of legendary gaming franchises by crafting an alternate universe so authentic that it sparked curiosity and made players question their own memories.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Supercell had the creative audacity and budget to build a high-fidelity alternate reality, including three fully functional retro games. This allowed them to move beyond a simple mobile app into a multi-platform narrative experience.
Category
Mobile games are typically viewed as modern, disposable software rather than enduring cultural institutions. While console brands celebrate decades of history, mobile marketing usually focuses on user acquisition and short-term engagement.
Customer
Players want to feel that their time investment in a game is part of something legendary and permanent. They resonate with deep lore and community-led discoveries that challenge their perceptions and reward their long-term fandom.
Culture
Leveraging the Mandela Effect and the internet obsession with lost media allowed the campaign to go viral through skepticism. The aesthetic tapped into a universal nostalgia for the pixelated era of the 80s and 90s.
Company
Supercell had the creative audacity and budget to build a high-fidelity alternate reality, including three fully functional retro games. This allowed them to move beyond a simple mobile app into a multi-platform narrative experience.
Category
Mobile games are typically viewed as modern, disposable software rather than enduring cultural institutions. While console brands celebrate decades of history, mobile marketing usually focuses on user acquisition and short-term engagement.
Strategy:
Invent a fictional 40-year heritage to transform a mobile game into a culturally permanent legacy gaming franchise.
Customer
Players want to feel that their time investment in a game is part of something legendary and permanent. They resonate with deep lore and community-led discoveries that challenge their perceptions and reward their long-term fandom.
Culture
Leveraging the Mandela Effect and the internet obsession with lost media allowed the campaign to go viral through skepticism. The aesthetic tapped into a universal nostalgia for the pixelated era of the 80s and 90s.
Strategy:
Invent a fictional 40-year heritage to transform a mobile game into a culturally permanent legacy gaming franchise.
Strategy Technique
Build a Brand Myth
The campaign aimed to elevate Clash of Clans to legendary status by crafting an elaborate fictional history and alternate universe. This created deep lore, making the brand feel culturally significant beyond a typical mobile game.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Spacetime Warp
The campaign created a fictional 40-year history for a modern mobile game, complete with retro games and a documentary. This warped the game's timeline, making players question its true origins and creating a unique historical narrative.
Explore Technique
