THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

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From the 16th Annual Shorty Awards

Diablo IV Liberation Letter - A Sinister Symphony of Engagement

Bronze Honor in Copywriting

Objectives

Our goal during the Diablo IV pre-launch period was to aggressively build on existing audience anticipation by creatively leveraging the sinister humor and unique voice associated with the Diablo gaming franchise.

The ‘Diablo IV Liberation Letter’ activation stands out as a successful representation of that social strategy; an elegant combination of clever copywriting, carefully considered visual design, a pinch of bleak humor, and a deep understanding of our audience. 

Strategy and Execution

The Liberation Letter activation was born from the social team’s shared desire to experience a highly-anticipated game launch without the constant interruptions of adult life…like working.

Recognizing that the Diablo audience skews millennial, we knew we weren’t alone; that many of those most looking forward to Diablo IV were dreaming of a day free from responsibility, a day where they could slay demons uninterrupted.

And what better advocate for a day of leisure than the forces of Hell? 

The Diablo IV Liberation Letter needed to exemplify the Diablo copywriting-style: sardonic, never cruel, but always mischievous. Setting the piece in-universe allowed us to play with darker and more experimental writing styles, while also appealing to the sizable audience segment that is passionate about Diablo lore. 

To ensure this piece wasn’t limited to English-speaking demographics, we worked to localize the content for a global audience with a diverse work culture, ensuring wider adoption and conversation without diluting the dark humor at the core of the activation.

Results

Social Media Reach (North America)

Social Media Reach (Taiwan)

The wry combination of humor and cynicism achieved remarkable success, dramatically surpassing the average metrics for Diablo social channels.

The Diablo IV Liberation Letter activation serves as an iconic example of how brand identity, humor, and demographic awareness can converge to create an unforgettable and engaging social experience.

By embracing the sinister and unique creative tone of Diablo and pairing it with our audience and demographic research we not only achieved outstanding engagement, but fostered excitement and camaraderie across our global audience for our brand.

Media Pickup:

 

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

Blizzard Entertainment

Links

Entry Credits