Project
Electronic Arts (EA) is announcing the release of its newest product, the EA VR Headset.
Opportunity
The company’s mission is to inspire positive play. Since it is committed to cultivating an environment where these experiences can thrive, EA needs to stay on the pulse of emerging technology and shape the standard for what gaming experiences can be beyond the confines of a monitor, TV screen, or mobile device.
With developments in virtual reality technologies, EA can meet players’ interest in new experiences that enhance how people engage with digital content – but more so at the intersection of gaming and immersive realities.
Desired Outcome
The aim is to announce the company’s venture into the virtual reality space with the backing of an extensive games library.
The VR headset was designed to enhance the gaming experience for fans of EA games, offering high quality at an affordable price for the average PC gamer. By generating excitement around the announcement and demonstrating the headset’s capabilities through gameplay footage and testing opportunities at gaming festivals like DreamHack, consumers will come to see EA as a well-supported brand, game, and hardware developer dedicated to enhancing and encouraging positive gaming experiences through the creation of new technology.
Target Audiences
The target audiences are the digital native gamers, mostly Generation Z and Millennials, but they come in a few key subgroups.
The Hardcore Gamer
Men, women, and non-binary individuals who are actively seeking high-quality, immersive gaming experiences with a focus on competition. These are the players most likely to follow esports competitions, have a group of favorite content creators for the games they play regularly, and are likely to keep their finger on the pulse of the gaming communities they are a part of. They also will not shy away from making purchases in-game if they enjoy the content of the game and have logged in enough hours.
The Technology Aficionado
These are individuals who do enjoy gaming as a whole, but have more of an interest in the specifications behind powerful gaming hardware. As early adopters or innovators in the gaming technology space, they would be a part of the middle and high annual household income social classes, affording them the luxury to invest in high-quality products. They are most eager to see how new technology being released shapes the future of gaming experiences.
The Culture Gamer
These people include the more casual gamers who may have a fascination for story-driven narratives with rich character development and world-building experiences. Maybe they are live service users who hop online to play with friends and are okay with not being the best in the lobby so long as they have fun. Or even big sports fans who enjoy representing their favorite teams in exhilarating sports games. These players may not have as much time to dedicate to gaming, but they enjoy the gaming communities they are a part of and are in tune with what the culture brings from a lifestyle standpoint.
Key Insight
Despite there being several competitors in the VR space, with Meta standing out the most due to them having the largest share of the market with their line of headsets available, the direction some brands are taking leaves a window of opportunity for a brand like EA to cement itself as the prime choice for a gaming VR headset—not a headset built to blur the lines between virtual and non-virtual realities, while also having the capabilities to run games and general entertainment on it. People can categorize different headsets based on the contexts in which they would be best used. Currently, the market leader is not positioned in the minds of consumers as the only choice to exclusively engage in VR gaming.
The Big Idea
Electronic Arts aims to set the standard for player experiences in virtual realities, using immersive gaming to promote positive play through new technology.
Headline/Tagline
Envision your new reality. Dream big, play bigger.
Support
The ad campaign to announce the release of the EA VR Headset will begin in April 2024. Advertisements for the announcement would be placed on EA’s social media platforms, out-of-home (OOH) advertisement placements, digital banners on websites, and in relevant publications. The ads are expected to run in print and on digital publications such as:
- TechCrunch
- The Verge
- IGN
- PC Gamer
- Game Informer
- Game Spot
- PocketGamer.biz/PocketGamer.com
- CNET
- The New York Times
- The Los Angeles Times
- The Washington Post
There advertising campaign is expected to raise awareness of the EA VR headset and drive sales. The goal is to leverage the EA brand recognition to etablish the headset as a leader in the VR gaming space, aiming to enhance the gaming experience for everyone.