Microsoft XBOX: Gears 5 Launch Trailer, Inking LA by 215 McCann
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Gears 5, the latest chapter of Xbox and The Coalition’s mega popular Gears of War franchise, continues to evolve the game with a new, female protagonist and a renewed focus on character-led drama and captivating storytelling. Kait Diaz is a conflicted hero torn between her loyalty to her squad and a mysterious pull to her sworn enemy.
To spotlight our new hero in advance of the launch of Gears 5, 'The Chain,' an action-driven piece from 215 McCann, follows Kait on a journey both intensely epic and personal, as she battles obstacles both real and imagined. The piece is driven by the Fleetwood Mac classic, ‘The Chain,' covered by Evanescence lead vocalist, Amy Lee. Amy and Xbox have redefined the classic song to embody the dark threat of Kait’s abuser, the evil Queen Myrrah, calling out and threatening her. As Kait nears the end of the journey in the spot, she stands, revs her Lancer, and fights back against her abuser. The lyrics help drive the narrative, as each line corresponds with the chaotic journey Kait is experiencing, both in the desert and in her own mind.
"I’m proud to lend my voice to this reimagining of 'The Chain' for Gears 5. I was drawn to the story of Kait overcoming fear and standing up to fight. Her story of breaking out with her own voice is most definitely one I relate to," said Amy Lee.
In addition, Gears Ink: Inking LA was introduced as a live-tattooed OOH installation promoting the launch of Gears 5. To the fans of Gears of War, the franchise is more than just a series of video games. In fact, the stories and characters of Gears mean so much to fans, many of them choose to brand their flesh forever with Gears of War ink and tattoos. But, since the canvas for these tattoos is literally the human body, typically they can only be shown off in a close-up, one-to-one, or small group setting. To celebrate the launch of Gears 5, Xbox wanted to showcase this hardcore love for the game, on the biggest stage possible. So, instead of giving a fan a tattoo, Xbox gave the city of Los Angeles some Gears Ink of its own. Xbox and 215 McCann partnered with Hollywood fabricators to create a canvas of synthetic human skin that could be tattooed by real tattoo needles, just like actual human flesh.
For three days, in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard, master tattoo artist Steve Soto and his crew from Goodfellas Tattoo Studio, worked eight hours a day to live-tattoo this large installation. At the end of the three days, Steve and his team put the finishing touches on a Gears of War tattoo that LA could wear with pride, just like thousands of other Gears fans. The campaign is a continuation of the “Bound By Blood” campaign, which 215 McCann launched at E3, and currently running globally on paid media. It includes TV, Cinema, Digital, OOH, Social, PR, and this live tattoo installation.
Credits
Title: The Chain
Product: Gears 5
Client: Microsoft
Sr. Director, Xbox Global Marketing Communications: Taylor Smith
Sr. Brand Manager, Gears of War: Nicole Fawcette
Brand Manager, Gears of War: Hailey Geller
Agency: 215 McCann
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
Creative Director: Brad Meyers
ACD/Copywriter: Mat Bunnell
Art Director: Zach Lepine
Director of Integrated Production: Mandi Holdorf
Producer: Christine Hurty
Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
Business Director: Peter Goldstein
Account Director: Patrick Meeley
Account Supervisor: Ben Blaska
Assistant Account Executive: Dylan Williams
Director of Strategy: Brian Wakabayashi
Strategy Director: Cassidy Wilber
Senior Strategist: Beth Windheuser
Post Production Company: Elastic
Design Studio: Elastic
Creative Director: Andy Hall
Concept Artists: Max Ulichney, Malia Goldman
Animators: Curtis Back, Takayuki Sato, Julia Wright
Editors: Rachel Fowler, Jessica Ledoux
VFX Supervisor: Andy McKenna
Head of 3D: Kirk Shintani
2D VFX Artists: Adam Flynn, Kevin Stokes, Dan Ellis
3D Artists: Tim Kadowaki, Robert Spaniolo, Miguel Salek, Kevin Gillen, Joao Rosa, Alejandro Castro, Quinton Woodson, Michael Relth, Bryan Cox, Derek Friesenborg, Dustin Mellum, Joe Paniagua, Jose Limon, Ian Ruhfass, Ariana Ziae-Mohseni, Josh Dyer, Colton Smrz
Post Production Support: Shane Hoffman
Online Editors: James Buongiorno
Visualization Supervisors: Jourdan Biziou, Steven Lo
Visualization Artists: Edward Perry Smith, Tom Mulhall, Ty Harmon
Associate Production Manager: Emmi Nakagawa
Visualization Executive Producer: Christopher Edwards
Senior Producer: Paul Makowski
Producer: Adam Goins
Coordinator: Megan Rodriguez
Pitch Producer: Meredith Cherniack
Executive Producer: Luke Colson
Head of Production: Kate Berry
Managing Director: Jennifer Sofio Hall
Music Production: Walker
Music by: Walker
Executive Producer: Sara Matarazzo
Executive Producer: Stephanie Pigott
Producer: Danielle Soury
Engineer: Chris Nungary
Arrangement: Bobby Tahouri
Vocal Performance: Amy Lee
Recording Studio: Lime Studios
Rohan Young: Sound Design and Mix
Jeremy Nichols: Audio Assistant
Susie Boyajan: Executive Producer
Additional Sound Design: Jafbox Sound
Sound Designer: Joseph Fraioli
Gameplay + Game SFX Supplier: The Coalition
Title: Gears Ink: Inking LA
Product: Gears 5
Client: Microsoft
Sr. Director, Xbox Global Marketing Communications: Taylor Smith
Sr. Brand Manager, Gears of War: Nicole Fawcette
Brand Manager, Gears of War: Hailey Geller
Agency: 215 McCann
Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
Creative Director: Brad Meyers
ACD/Copywriter: Mat Bunnell
Art Director: Zach Lepine
Director of Integrated Production: Mandi Holdorf
Producer: Christina Chin
Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
Business Director: Peter Goldstein
Account Director: Patrick Meeley
Account Supervisor: Ben Blaska
Assistant Account Executive: Dylan Williams
Director of Strategy: Brian Wakabayashi
Strategy Director: Cassidy Wilber
Senior Strategist: Beth Windheuser
Editor: Taylor Reifurth
Set Fabrication + Installation: Traction 3D / Standard Scenery
Executive Producer: Bryan Roberts
DP: Chris Stone
Set Fabrication: Steve Eschenbaugh
Artists: Goodfellas Tattoo Studio
Tattoo Artist: Steve Soto
Tattoo Assistant: Luis Soto
Tattoo Assistant: Gabe Luquin
Tattoo Assistant: Joseph Solano
Composer: Alex Sargent
