Konami: Enter the Game
Konami needed to launch PES 2013 in Spain, convincing video game players it was the best football simulator. The client sought to dramatically prove the game's realism and immersive quality to passionate football and gaming enthusiasts, aiming to generate significant buzz and engagement for the new title.
Creative Idea
A fan won a contest, becoming a virtual player inside the game.
Konami's "Enter the Game" campaign transformed a Spanish fan into a virtual player in PES 2013, digitizing his image and movements to appear alongside football stars. This proved the game's hyper-realism and immersive experience by making the ultimate player dream a tangible reality, convincing players it was the best simulator.
Turning a Spanish Fan into a Digital Pro
The Battle for Digital Realism
In 2012, the rivalry between PES and FIFA was at its peak, centered entirely on which engine offered the most authentic simulation. To prove their technical superiority, Havas Sports & Entertainment Madrid moved beyond traditional TV spots. They leveraged the new Player ID feature - which mapped the signature movements of the world’s top 50 players - to demonstrate that the game’s engine was so precise it could accommodate a real human being. By turning a consumer into a digital protagonist, Konami made the ultimate claim: their software was no longer just a game, but a mirror of reality.
From Twitter to Tokyo
The recruitment process was a grueling multi-stage talent search that utilized the massive social reach of Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid. Over 1,800 fans competed through physical fitness tests and football skill trials to prove they were "game-ready." The winner was flown to Konami’s headquarters in Japan for a professional production experience usually reserved for elite athletes. This involved full 3D scanning and motion-capture sessions to code their likeness and specific running style directly into the PES 2013 roster.
Trending with the CR7 Effect
The strategy turned 9 million Spanish players into brand ambassadors. By using #enterthegame, the campaign achieved massive organic reach, resulting in over 80,000 unique visits to the dedicated microsite. The creative team, led by José Antonio Nogales, Julio Alvarez, and Cesar Garcia, successfully shifted the conversation from "playing" a game to "entering" it. This high-level engagement provided a significant boost in market share, proving that a fan’s dream could be the most effective weapon in a software arms race.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Konami, as the developer of PES 2013, possessed the unique technical capability to digitize a real person into their highly realistic football simulator.
Category
Football game advertising typically showcases in-game graphics, star players, and gameplay features, often relying on aspirational but passive viewing experiences.
Customer
Gamers harbored a deep, unfulfilled desire to transcend the screen and personally experience the ultimate immersion of becoming a character within their favorite game.
Culture
The growing esports culture and increasing demand for hyper-realistic gaming experiences created a fertile ground for a campaign blurring lines between virtual and real.
Company
Konami, as the developer of PES 2013, possessed the unique technical capability to digitize a real person into their highly realistic football simulator.
Category
Football game advertising typically showcases in-game graphics, star players, and gameplay features, often relying on aspirational but passive viewing experiences.
Strategy:
Fulfill an aspirational fantasy by blurring reality and fiction to demonstrate product capability and create immersive brand connection.
Customer
Gamers harbored a deep, unfulfilled desire to transcend the screen and personally experience the ultimate immersion of becoming a character within their favorite game.
Culture
The growing esports culture and increasing demand for hyper-realistic gaming experiences created a fertile ground for a campaign blurring lines between virtual and real.
Strategy:
Fulfill an aspirational fantasy by blurring reality and fiction to demonstrate product capability and create immersive brand connection.
Results
+100 million media impacts were achieved. The campaign generated +3 million € in free media. Subsequently, 9 million users began playing with Eduardo Morillo's virtual character every day. The campaign demonstrated the realism of PES 2013, leading Konami to announce plans for an international campaign next year to search for virtual players from all over the world.
+100M
media impacts
+3M €
free media generated
9M
daily users playing with him
Strategy Technique
Find the Consumer Truth
The campaign tapped into the universal gamer dream of becoming a virtual player. By making this aspirational fantasy a reality for one fan, Konami powerfully demonstrated PES 2013's realism and immersive experience.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Consumer contest
The campaign centered on a competition where fans competed in real and virtual football challenges. The ultimate prize - becoming a virtual player - directly engaged the target audience by offering an unparalleled, aspirational experience that proved the game's realism.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
This campaign's craft is exceptional in its ability to bring a fantastical idea to life through cutting-edge technology and seamlessly integrate it into a real-world product, creating an immersive and highly engaging experience.
The technical execution of 3D facial modeling, motion capture, and the seamless integration of a real person's likeness and movements into the highly realistic game engine is a significant feat of digital artistry and engineering.
The physical event for the 'Enter the Game' tournament was designed to evoke a major esports competition, creating an immersive and high-stakes environment that enhanced the campaign's central premise.
The campaign's magic truly came from the synergy between a brilliant, player-centric idea and the advanced digital craft required to make that idea a tangible, interactive reality within the game.
