The game’s on through July 14, and the high scorers wins free burgers and a limited-edition Chili’s Big Smasher BurgerTime arcade cabinet. The next pair of high scores also nab an arcade cabinet.

“Matt [Sorrell] and I work as a freelance-based creative team for Chili’s, handling a variety of projects, ” says Jonathan Marshall of Jon Marshall & Daughters.

“A while back, we were discussing a new burger they were working on that would become The Big Smasher. Matt made a joke that we should recreate ‘BurgerTime’ and everyone immediately nodded and we started on that basically right away. We had Chili’s—known for their burgers—partnering with a nostalgia-inducing game about making burgers. Some things are just meant to be.”

After the contest concludes, the game will be playable until June 2025.

“The goal was to create an authentic recreation of the complete game, not just a quick one-off level or smaller experience,” Marshall tells Muse. “This was a childhood favorite of all our’s, and the game has a huge and dedicated following, so we needed to nail the details. Start to finish, that took probably three or four months. The storyline of the original BurgerTime prophetically nailed the current burger landscape: someone’s trying to stop you from making big, delicious burgers. Fast forward 40 years and you have this environment where everyone is tired of overpriced fast-food, just as Chili’s is launching a new burger in a deal that’s only $10.99.”

“To mark this launch, our team wanted to create a show-stopping moment, so it felt fitting to have Hollywood icons face off against social media stars in a fun way, showing that life really is more fun when you’re with a squad,” says Ilkka Paananen, CEO of Supercell.

Are we having fun, yet? Indeed.

“Engaging with a digitally absorbed Gen z audience on the streets is increasingly challenging. The onus is on brands to continually innovate and create an unmissable presence,” says Islam ElDessouky, global vice president of creative strategy and content. “Our latest executions were focused on ‘value exchange.’ OOH is an accessible traditional medium and it’s for everyone, just like Coca-Cola but what are people really experiencing from our brand when it’s on the streets?”

Sore necks, perhaps, if you keep following the trajectory of that pixelated ball for too long.

WPP Open X, Grey N.Y. and Dubai Studios produced the project, which ties into brand iconography (bottles as paddles) and nostalgia (vintage gaming styles) on an impressive scale.

And while we’re on the subject of recycling culture, a separate Coke effort—developed through Open X, led by Ogilvy N.Y.—crushes the brand’s iconic cans and logo to illustrate its commitment to sustainability.

“The logo is so recognizable that people instantly know what they’re looking at even when they see a version of it that looks like it has been ‘crushed’ as part of the recycling process,” says Guillermo Vega, global creative network lead at Ogilvy.

The push includes billboards in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico plus videos and social content, touting Coke’s pledge to make its packaging 100 percent recyclable by next year.

Finally, Coke launched “Magic Catch” in Europe through Open X, led by Ogilvy Paris and Subvrsive.

Who wouldn’t want to use their phones to “catch” a digitized Coke bottle as it zips across billboards? (Insert your snarky comment here.)

“The idea is based on a universal cultural behavior and breaks the boundaries that exist between physical, digital and social touch points,” say Ogilvy creative directors Thibault Michal and Yann-Gaël Cobigo. “As it becomes increasingly difficult to grab the attention of Gen Z, it’s great to have found a way to stand out in the visual jungles that our cities have become. With the ‘Magic Catch’ we want to make people stop, look up and have fun for a few minutes with our interactive billboard.”

“In today’s gaming world, storytelling is paramount. Playbrary aims to present the greatest stories ever written in an interactive, gamified format, inspiring people to read the original books,” says Cyril Louis, ECD at LePub. “As the saying will go, the book is always better than the game.”

Games stick to each book’s original plot while allowing players to get creative as the story unfolds. After a kid “plays” a book, they’re encouraged to read the physical or digital volume.

Click images to enlarge:

Playbrary is available globally in more than 50 languages. The NLB is working directly with schools and libraries to entice young gamers and partnered with game influencer on Twitch to share their favorite books.

“Advanced AI models like ChatGPT don’t yet have a mind of their own,” Louis tells Muse. “The engineering and training of such tools is a novel area that requires substantial experimentation.”

CREDITS

Client: National Reading Movement, National Library Board, Singapore Programme Director: Chris Koh
Senior Manager/Senior Librarian: Ilyani Suhaimi,
Manager: Jennifer Tan

Agency: LePub APAC
Global Chief Creative Officer: Cristiana Boccassini
Chief Creative Officer: Mihnea Gheorghiu
Executive Creative Director: Cyril Louis
Executive Creative Director: Andrey Tyukavkin
Creative Director: Sergey Mast
Head of Creative Technology, Publicis Groupe APAC: Laurent Thevenet
Associate Creative Director: Mark Peeters
Associate Creative Director: Robert Nelk
Associate Creative Director: Yuste De Lucas
Associate Creative Director: Rudy Zulkifly
Design Director: Oscar Gutierrez
General Manager: Hanh Kanssen
Senior Project Manager: Farhan Wahab

PR: MSL Singapore
Director: Karen Yap
Consultant: Thiviya Suria Associate: Isha Meleth
Associate: Jee Soo Kim Associate-in-Training: Regine Seow

Rachel is global head of gaming at We Are Social, leading a team of 50 experts across the agency’s 19 offices. She has worked with brands like Red Bull and McLaren, as well as developers including Blizzard and Jagex. She has more than 10 years of experience spanning production, strategy, marketing, branding, monetization, partnerships, business development, esports tournament ops and game design.

We spent two minutes with Rachel to learn more about her background, her creative inspirations and recent work she’s admired.

Rachel, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in the small town of Spring Hill, Fla., just north of Tampa. I moved to the U.K. in 2017, and I’m living by the seaside in Brighton these days. It’s like Florida with its perpetual rain, but a bit more gray and occasionally snowy. 

How you first realized you were creative.

When I was very young, I could pick up anything art-related and excel at it as though I’d been doing it for years. Music and drawing came naturally. I could hear or look at something once and figure it out.

A person you idolized creatively early on.

I idolized John Williams and his incredible film scores. Having the ability to convey or evoke a specific emotion without words is a powerful tool. I wanted to understand how to harness this power to tell better stories, not just through music, but through as art, writing and marketing.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

In college, over a two-month period, everything that could go wrong did. I nearly died, became homeless and was diagnosed with cancer. I needed to empower myself, not rely on others to get me where I wanted to be. That perseverance and determination has gotten me where I am today. 

A visual artist or band/musician you admire.

I love John Williams, Russell Brower and Joe Hisaishi. Their ability to make you feel the music and understand it on a deep level is incredible. In visual mediums, I love Paul Kwon and Yann Blomquist’s conceptual art.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

I recently read the first two books of The Kingkiller Chronicle Series by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s a story about a boy named Kvothe who had to overcome adversity to become an arcanist and “master namer.” It’s a story I can relate to, as my own life had similar tribulations.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

The “Drive to Win” series we created at Logitech G. Through our partnership with Playseat, we created Logitech G Edition racing seats. We featured people from all walks of life, from everyday people to professional racing drivers, and showed how they used our products to fuel their drive to win. 

A recent project you’re proud of. 

Call of Duty: Soap Codes with Activision/Blizzard. We worked with the client to create an in-game soap item based on one of the beloved characters, John “Soap” MacTavish. Gamers could win this item by commenting on socials with the soap emoji.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago. 

People buy with emotion and justify it with logic. If a piece can make me feel for the character or world I’m about to jump into, I’ll almost always pick up that game or product. A great example is the Wrath of the Lich King cinematic trailer by Blizzard Entertainment.

Someone else’s work you admired lately. 

“Doritos: Cancel the Crunch.” The key was taking a player pain point and making Doritos the champion in overcoming that obstacle. All gamers know the pain of listening to friends chow down on snacks in the middle of a match. So, the noise cancellation technology was a genius way to get players to interact with the brand, even if they weren’t purchasing the product.

Your main strength as a creative person.

I was told that being a generalist and moving around from place to place would be the death of my career. Those moves, however, have allowed me to gain first-hand experience in a variety of roles and understand how each piece contributes to the greater puzzle from a multitude of perspectives.

Your biggest weakness.

The ability to let go and let others do things their way. I’ve been in the games industry for so long, I have gained a strong understanding of what works and what doesn’t. So, when a member of my team wants to try something out of the ordinary, it can be difficult to let them do it their way. But I’ve learned that if you give people the chance to impress you, they will deliver. 

A mentor that helped you navigate the industry.

Joeyray Hall has helped shape me into the person I am today. He told me that to be a great leader, I would need to understand how each person’s contribution helps create a great product. I shaped my whole career around this guiding principle.

How you’re paying it forward with the next generation of creatives.

The best way to pay it forward as a leader is to be empathetic, kind and create a positive environment that encourages growth. I want to set a good example by prioritizing my team’s mental health and progress as individuals. I want my team to be happy, motivated to push the boundaries of the status quo and to succeed in their own right.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I’d likely be working for a game company leading marketing or esports.Those have always been my two greatest loves. Bonus points if it was motorsports marketing within games, as that’s my specialty. 

“The story around the game is that Murder Mountain is a bucolic but deranged island where Murder Man lives,” Pearson says. “The woods are full of half-deer/half-men, and underneath Murder Man’s cabin, you’ll find an air vent that leads into the Liquid Death corporate HQ.”

“The game begins because Murder Man has been called away to jury duty, so you have to fill in for him and murder people’s thirst using Liquid Death.”

Um, look at that dude. He’s not getting on a jury! Though props to the malicious mascot for meeting his civic obligation.

“If you’re the last player standing,” Person continues, “you’ll win the grand prize of having Murder Man personally murder your thirst when he returns.”

So, everyone’s annihilated at the end. That’s the Liquid Death way!

Gamers can play on any platform supporting Fortnite by searching “Liquid Death” or using the UEFN code 8498-5199-9768.

All in all, it’s a cheeky hack in tune with LD’s various crazed campaigns (though not as outrageous or upsetting as some.)

“We hate marketing,” Pearson says. “We’d much rather just make entertainment instead. Usually we do that in the form of insane, limited-edition products and hilarious videos that poke fun at culture. “But for the holidays, when everyone is home playing games, we decided to do it in the form of a game that lets people enter the Liquid Death universe in a new way.”

Buoy Studio helped bring “Murder Island” to life. (Strange way to phrase it, but accurate nonetheless.)

Chris heads Tripleclix, an agency specializing in the gaming industry. With over 30 years of experience, he’s worked with Xbox, Bandai Namco, Krafton, Wizards of the Coast, Kellogg’s, Ferrara, Nestle and many more.

Chris began his career in gaming at Wizards of the Coast, where he ran point on the Pokémon and Dungeons and Dragons portfolios, followed by a lengthy tenure as the VP of brand marketing for EA Sports. Prior to launching Tripleclix in 2014, he led marketing at Legendary Entertainment.

We spent two minutes with Chris to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired.

Chris, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now. 

I was born in New York but spent most of my time growing up in Seattle. I live in Westlake Village now, just outside of Los Angeles. Before arriving here, I was in Florida for about a decade managing the EA Sports brand. 

How you first realized you were creative. 

I’ve been a baseball card collector since I was a kid. I’d go to card shows, buy a card from one table, walk four tables down, and sell it for a profit. I’d do something similar with candy, too—buy a bag for $5 and flip it for $20. I think this sort of hustle is part entrepreneurial and part creative. You’re identifying and marketing a want or a need. 

A person you idolized creatively early on. 

My mom was my first role model. She was a big executive at a biotech company and I got to watch her grind. Learning what it meant to be an executive resonated with me. Phil Knight, Steve Jobs and Michael Eisner were all inspirational from a leadership standpoint. They were creative, entrepreneurial and led the way in their respective businesses. 

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

I was a batboy for the Seattle Mariners in high school and college. The access to celebrity and talent and seeing how a big production like that works behind the curtains—it humanized everybody and everything.  Spending time with Ken Griffey Jr. or Alex Rodriguez, you realize they put their pants on one leg at a time. They just happen to be baseball pants. That experience made me realize how everyone has a different journey, but we all want to live a meaningful life. 

A visual artist or band/musician you admire. 

I was in college for the rise of Pearl Jam. I had a friend who was in a band that opened for them. Having lived through that Seattle renaissance of music was really inspirational. From the visual side of things, Frank Kozik was a huge name at that time. We did a Tomb Raider collaboration with him. Tristan Eaton is our modern-day aspirational artist. He reminds me of the energy Kozik brought in the ’80s, and Warhol before that.

A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.

I’ve fallen in love with The Rewatchables podcast. I get a kick out of listening to Bill Simmons and his team discuss fun films. From a show perspective, The Mandalorian, Ted Lasso and Better Call Saul. What’s been really fun, though, is sitting with my 12-year-old twin boys and watching The Last of Us.

Your favorite fictional character.

Growing up, Daredevil. The Frank Miller Daredevil run is what made me fall in love with comics. I also loved the original Secret Wars run. From a franchise perspective, Star Wars. I saw Episode IV in theaters when I was 6 years old. I was consumed by it and had every toy. When I worked at Wizards of the Coast and launched the Star Wars TCG and roleplaying game, I had the opportunity to present to George Lucas. Such a full-circle moment and a true career highlight. 

Someone or something worth following on social media.

I try to focus on things that make me smile or laugh. Francis Bourgeois, the train guy, is a great example. 

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.

Our OPI and Xbox collaboration. Women account for almost 48 percent of gamers, but are a very underserved audience. So, finding a brand like OPI that was open to authentically connecting their audience with their gaming passion was special.

A recent project you’re proud of.

Our work on the 30th anniversary of Magic: The Gathering. I will always have a special place in my heart for it, having worked on the brand when I was at Wizards. We collaborated with Hot Pockets. In retail, you’ll see five different Hot Pockets packages with a character that reflects each of the mana colors. Each of the packs also has in-game content for Magic Arena, the digital version of the game. We also did something unique with Trolli, creating a playable bag of candy.

Someone else’s work that inspired you years ago.

I’m always inspired by Nike’s artist collaborations. But when Heinz launched Shrek ketchup (Green ketchup)—that was an “a-ha,” or ‘holy cow” moment.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

Chobani’s “Unstuck” partnership. Launching a platform to help displaced refugees through job placement is aspirational. More brands need to drive cause marketing in bigger ways.   

Your main strength as a creative person.

Being unafraid of failure. We’ve all failed. It’s better to take risks and be flexible and nimble. 

Your biggest weakness.

I tend to take on too many things.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I’d likely be some kind of failed creative or artist.

That faux-PSA host died as she lived. Like an idiot.

“We loved her because she really embodied that self-righteous, self-important do-gooder who felt like she was overstepping her bounds a bit,” brand VP of creative Andy Pearson tells Muse. “We watched a lot of old charity commercials” to fine-tune the approach.

“This just felt like a fun, natural partnership for both sides” of the marketing equation, he says. “Zombies seem to capture our collective imagination in pop culture.”

LD has a history with such fiends, plus a track record for campy, subversive horror and skewering TV media tropes.

“We now have an extensive library of zombie stock footage,” Pearson says. “If anyone needs to buy it off us, please let me know.”

Sounds like a bloody good stocking stuffer.

The new game (with zombies!) drops on Nov. 10.

CREDITS

Co-Founder/CEO: Mike Cessario
SVP of Marketing: Dan Murphy
VP of Creative: Andy Pearson
VP of Marketing: Greg Fass
VP of Design: Frank Dresmé
Creative Director: Will Carsola
Associate Creative Director: Stu Golley
Senior Brand Manager: Tia Sherwood
Senior Social Media Manager: Rachael Mumford
Senior Nihilist: Brendan Kelly
Video Editor: Tyler Beasley
Director: Dave Canning
Executive Producer: Johnny Eastlund
Senior Producer: Cookie Walukas
Senior Producer: Tatianna Rodriguez
Production Coordinator: Rylee Brown
Director of Photography: Matt Clegg
Production Designer: Michelle Patterson

“Dr. Ellis uses a dream induction technique to set intentions that allow dreamers to become the hero,” Vreeken tells Muse. “These intentions can range from remembering the weapons or armor you might need to overcome a specific nightmare, or even who you might bring with you to help you in times of need.”

“Much of our dreams are influenced by our waking life. So, if gamers have been stuck in a certain place in Diablo IV, they may discover new techniques to overcome those obstacles.”

Then again, some folks might find beery dreams more refreshing.

CREDITS

Brand: Diablo
Daniela Rodriguez: Director of Brand Marketing
Kevin Carmona: Brand Marketing Manager
Aryan Mohsenzadeh: Brand Marketing Coordinator
Euni Moon Lee: Senior Director of Content Marketing
Krystha Dart: Sr Digital Marketing Manager
Patrick Coyle: Digital Marketing Manager
Maxim Samoylenko: Sr Public Relations Manager 
Laura Herzberg: Public Relations Coordinator 

Agency: VCCP US
Jed Grossman: Chief Creative Officer
Joel Kaplan: Executive Creative Director
Geoff Vreeken: Creative Director
Trevor Larson: Copywriter
Taylor Dahl: Art Director
Matt DeMilner: Art Director
Conor McFarland: Copywriter
Katy Aquino: Director of Creative Operations
Cara Orlowski: Director of Business Affairs
Jessica Ambrose: Executive Producer
Erin Kelly: Integrated Producer
Katie Nichols: Account Supervisor
Brendan Robertson: Managing Partner
Sashi Nair: Head of Strategy

Production
Ross Allen: Director
Mitchell Baxter: Director of Photography
Alex Greba: Gaffer
Colyn Cameron: Sound Operator

Editorial
Ryan Gee: Editor – “Teaser” “Launch” & “Visualizer” assets
Ross Allen : Editor – “Mini Documentary”
Miguel Barbosa: Assistant Editor – “Mini Documentary”

Sound Design & Mix: One Thousand Birds
Andrew Tracy: Sound Designer + Mixer
Andres Velasquez: Original Music
Guin Frehling: Executive Producer
Kira MacKnight: Managing Director + Executive Producer