South Korean game developer, Krafton has recently launched a digital-first campaign to promote the release of its latest game ‘Road To Valor: Empires’.
The campaign, comprising of three films, leverages humour and characters to give players a look into the world of Road to Valor: Empires.
Krafton’s new offering is a real time player-versus-player (PvP) strategy game that has been reimagined for the Indian audience to include various India-specific features and updates. Reflecting the localised nature of the game, the campaign films are designed to provide the Indian audience with an insight into the gameplay, story, and characters.
The first film, titled Viking Wali Feel, highlights the game's thrilling gameplay. The film follows Gaurav, an avid Road To Valor: Empires player, who is part of the Viking camp – one of the various civilisations from the game. Immersed in the game, as Gaurav’s mother approaches him to offer him breakfast, Gaurav declares to his mother with a gusto that, “Bowls mein bacche khaate hain, Vikings nahin,” and then proceeds to eat his breakfast out of a horned Viking helmet.
The second film, titled Phaijjal Ka Badla, illustrates how games can evoke intense emotions. In this film, player Phaijal2304 is tired of losing the game to his nemesis Ramadhir1505. The day finally arrives where Phaijal2304 exacts his revenge by defeating Ramadhir1505 in the game, eliciting emotions of extreme joy but the question remains, who is Phaijal2304? The incorporation of the pop cultural references evokes familiarity and captures the viewer’s attention.
The third film, titled Don’t Let Your Heroes Down, brings the world of Road To Valor: Empires to life. This film follows a player who is rather unbothered by his loss in the game. Shortly after this, he is encountered by the great general Caesar - his character from the game, in real life. Caesar expresses his disappointment by breaking the player’s phone and urges him to perform better and take his battles seriously, to uphold the Roman military legacy.
Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, Krafton India, said, “We are thrilled to launch our latest digital campaign that celebrates the release of our new game Road To Valor: Empires. Road To Valor: Empires has been created specifically for our Indian audience and we believe that the films will resonate with the players and introduce them to the mythical world of the game. India has a tremendously talented strategy game fanbase and we have curated this campaign that combines dry humour and pop culture to engage with them. Our goal with Road To Valor: Empires is to provide players with a localised experience that feels authentic and engaging, and we believe that these films truly reflect that goal.”
Arjun Kapadia, Founder and CEO at Been There Done That Media, commented, “When approached by Krafton to promote their new game “Road To Valor: Empires,” we embarked on creating an ad film that celebrated the game’s strategic gameplay. Our approach was centred around the character of “Phaijjal,” and infused a touch of humour to captivate the target audience. Our objective was to create a captivating and memorable ad film that showcased the game’s strategic elements. We take pride in being a part of this launch project and are committed to delivering outstanding advertising solutions for our client’s brands and products.”
Nitin Menon, Director of Retro Films, said, "Gamers are passionate creatures. Every game they play becomes a matter of life and death in their heads. Every victory is celebrated and every loss is personal. There's a lot at stake, at least inside their heads. We just took that thought forward and upped the stake with a bizarre spin. Every time they play, they're not just playing for themselves, but also shoulder the responsibility of an entire empire and its heroes. So consequently, every loss is literally like letting their heroes down.”
Viking Wali Feel:
Phaijjal Ka Badla:
Don’t Embarrass Your Heroes: