Situation
An opportunity to make a big splash at the eSports World Cup
In partnership with Qiddiya, Storyland Studios and production team Done + Dusted came alongside video game publisher HoYoverse to create an engaging pop-up brand activation for its latest release, Zenless Zone Zero.
Storyland connected Qiddiya, a headline sponsor of the eSports World Cup, with HoYoverse to explore opportunities to create a brand activation inspired by one of its popular IPs during the 2024 event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The result: an exciting Zenless Zone Zero arcade takeover celebrating the fan favorite HoYoverse game.
Solution
An immersive experience, bringing the game to life in the real world
The Zenless Zone Zero pop-up brand activation opened during the 2024 eSports World Cup, inviting gamers, families, and influencers alike to enjoy special events, compete in gaming tournaments, win prizes, and immerse themselves in the successful anime game’s early-90s-inspired aesthetic.
The Storyland team created a rich industrial aesthetic with ties to the bold, stylised world of Zenless Zone Zero. We worked with HoYoverse to design an out-of-world experience inspired by the game, including a selfie wall stacked floor-to-ceiling with vintage tube TVs and boom box speakers, oversized Bangboos for photo ops, a DJ booth, and a special events stage. Our team created custom vintage arcade cabinets where guests could play the game, inspired by its in-world arcade. The TV wall, which also appears in-game, was designed to play gameplay loops.
Transformation
Attendance nearly double expectations
The true-to-concept Zenless Zone Zero brand activation was an instant crowd-pleaser, greatly exceeding expectations. Originally designed for 2,000 daily guests with a projected total of 18,000 to 20,000 attendees across the total event run, Zenless Zone Zero attracted an average of 4,223 daily guests—a total of 38,010 attendees over the course of the activation. Photo ops, especially the retro TV stack, were popular stops for influencers, gamers, and families—even non-gamer parents!
