As fans of Eastbound & Down have grown to love his uniquely ridiculous perspective and highly quotable “Kenny-isms,” HBO developed a customized old school baseball game that would make Kenny Powers proud. Much like the games that our target demographic had grown up with (Men 18-34), we developed an 8-bit style baseball video game but with Kenny on the mound. Players enjoyed a torrent of Kenny’s non-stop insults and self-laudatory claims at every swing.
It was important that the game be simple but highly entertaining, and above all else, not feel like a promotion. Designed to tap into the nostalgia of old school gaming and resonate with the target male audience, the iPhone app succinctly matched the tone and branding of the series. Features included:
• Favorite cast members, including Stevie Janowski, integrated throughout the game.
• Adaptive difficulty to maximize enjoyment.
• Exclusive season 2 content served as rewards after each level.
• Maximized share-ability through Twitter and Facebook, enabling players to update their progress and recommend the app to friends.
The game was a resounding success, gaining over 50,000 downloads and breaking into the top charts for free entertainment apps on the iTunes store. The app also served to drive tune-in, helping the show sustain over 4.5 million viewers per episode and vastly exceed the expectations set by the previous season.
Contributors:
SVP Advertising & Promotions: | Zach Enterlin |
EVP Consumer Marketing: | Courteney Monroe |
Director Consumer Marketing: | Stephen Bruno |
Coordinator, Advertising & Promotions: | Anthony D'Souza |
Product Development: | Jay Carroll |
President/Creative Director/Ignition: | Evan Dehaven |
Sr. Producer/Ignition: | Heidi Powers |
Agency: | Ignition |
Media Agency: | PHD |
HBO
Location: USA