Credits:
Client: 2K Games San Francisco
President: Christoph Hartmann
SVP Marketing: Sarah Anderson
Sr. Product Manager: Tom Bass
Agency: RDA International, Inc. New York, New York
Producer: Adrian Lichter
VP Client Services: Bunny Rivera
Client Services: Elizabeth Consedine
Creative Director: Dave Rogan
Co Creative Director: Brian Musich
Production Company: EyeballNYC New York, New York
Creative Director/Director: Limore Shur
Cg/Animation Director / Co-Director: Stuart Simms
Art Director: Mauricio Leon
Executive Producer:Amy Kindred
Producer: Mike Sullo
Production Coordinator: Erica Hirshfeld
Production Assistant: Barry Gilbert
Sound Company: Expansion Team
Sound Design: Jesse Peterson
Creative Director: Alex Moulton
Executive Producer: April Jaffe
Production Coordinator: Paige Weissman

PR:
RDA International (rdai.com) has once again proven its videogame marketing mettle by spinning a bit of gold for 2K Games’ BioShock title. By all accounts, when this hotly anticipated and highly rated shooter hit the shelves last week, it didn’t stay there long. Strong sales and pent-up demand for the game was clearly evident as it soared to the Amazon top sellers list soon after release. RDA has been at the forefront of videogame advertising since the early 90s, when it created the monumental marketing campaign for the now-legendary Mortal Kombat.

“BioShock is more than just a first person shooter” states Bunny Rivera, VP of Account Service for RDA.“It’s a completely original experience never seen before in gaming… we call it a genetically enhanced shooter.To that end, the BioShock marketing campaign needed to be just as original as the game was.We wanted a campaign that was completely integrated and actively involved our consumer base.”

Working closely with 2K’s development and marketing teams, RDA utilized an integrated approach that included many vehicles, including a 2-sided print insert, multiple TV spots and trailers, and an online community called, “The Cult of Rapture”.The BioShock television commercial, which made its debut last week, is a break-through motion graphics marvel. Conceived by RDA’s CD Dave Rogan and copywriter Brian Musich, and co-produced by Eyeball NYC, the spot serves up a disturbing and harrowing experience in Rapture, BioShock’s crumbling undersea city.The decrepit, biologically altered denizens of this once-grand art deco universe
descend upon the viewer, as the bulk of the intense action takes place in the first-person POV of the game.

“We wanted to create an epic cinematic experience for the viewer,’’ notes Rogan, “but we also wanted it to be completely true to the actual game experience. BioShock, the characters, and the world of Rapture are all so visually compelling, we thought the best way to hook the audience was literally transport them into the middle of the insanity and just let ‘er rip.”

Ironically set against the strangely appropriate, classic Bobby Darin track, “Beyond the Sea,” the protagonist is bombarded by mutants, nonstop gunfire, and “Big Daddies”, the game’s most imposing characters, while wielding some impressive weaponry of his own.

“The game is amazing,” continues Rivera, “so with the television spot, we really felt challenged to create something equally amazing. 2K was actively involved every step along the way. It was a real collaborative effort.The spot is stunning, and its effectiveness, thankfully, is speaking for itself.”

RDA’s focus on “passionate” customers serves clients such as W Hotels Worldwide, Sony Broadcast & Professional, iHome Audio, KORG and Marshall musical instruments, among many others. As such, the Agency continues to shine as the premier videogame advertising marketer of the past two decades, having recorded award-winning campaigns for Acclaim, GT interactive, Codemasters, and now 2K Games and 2K Sports.