ROLE
UX / Lead Design / Production / Build
CLIENT
Microsoft Xbox, created at Amazon
OVERVIEW
To promote the launch of Xbox’s flagship exclusive video game, Gears of War 4, on October 11, 2016, Microsoft partnered with Amazon to drive awareness and sales through a Gateway Hero Banner and a custom landing page. The campaign highlighted the Prime Now Midnight Delivery option, providing a fast and convenient way for fans to purchase the game. I led the design of the key creative assets, landing page, and interactive features that ensured a visually compelling and compliant experience across Amazon’s platforms.
CHALLENGES
The project faced several significant challenges:
- Strict Amazon Ad Policies: The Gateway Hero Banner had to be suitable for all ages, requiring careful editing of Gears of War 4 assets to remove weapon visibility and blood, while maintaining brand authenticity.
- Dual Purchase Paths: The landing page needed to serve both Prime Now and standard Amazon customers, requiring seamless integration and redirects without confusing the user.
- Technical Limitations: Features like embedding the Twitch livestream were limited by team resources and platform constraints, so I had to find creative compromises while still delivering value to fans.
- Cross-Platform Consistency: Assets had to work across multiple placements, including Prime Now hero images, Fire TV hero banners, and display media, requiring careful adaptation and consistency checks.
PROCESS
As the lead designer on the campaign, I worked with internal and external stakeholders, as well as Amazon leadership to provide a design that met all requirements.
Hero Banner Design
- Used character assets to create key art aligned with Amazon’s specifications.
- Collaborated with an interactive designer to implement background rain and lightning animations for added visual impact.
- Edited and composited character imagery to comply with all-age ad policies, creating a neutral background and removing weapons and blood while retaining dynamic hero imagery.
- Approved assets were applied across Prime Now hero banners, Fire TV hero banners, and display media, ensuring a consistent campaign look.
Landing Page Design
- Designed a custom landing page featuring dual purchase paths for Prime Now and standard customers.
- Integrated video game content, gameplay videos, and a link to the Twitch livestream to engage users.
- Built a shoppable experience that simplified the path to purchase, even with the technical limitations of Prime Now integration and having shoppers be redirected.
- Ensured a visually cohesive, user-friendly layout that maintained Xbox branding standards.
Fire TV Beta Experience
Participated in a Beta launch to design an in-video shopping experience for Fire TV, exploring ways to expand the campaign into emerging interactive platforms.
RESULTS
- Successful Amazon Hero Placement: Compliant, all-age hero banner launched on Amazon’s home page, driving awareness for Gears of War 4.
- Seamless Purchase Experience: Dual paths allowed both Prime Now and standard members to complete purchases efficiently.
- Cross-Platform Campaign Execution: Assets were successfully deployed across multiple placements, including Fire TV and display media, maintaining consistency and engagement.
- Enhanced User Engagement: The landing page offered video content, game information, and Twitch livestream access, increasing user interaction and brand immersion.
This campaign demonstrates how careful creative adaptation, technical collaboration, and problem-solving can overcome platform and policy limitations while delivering a visually compelling, multi-channel experience for a high-profile game launch.
