TUNIC - PR, Creators, Paid Media, Creative

by ICO | Mar 22, 2023 | 4 min read

The Challenge

The Zelda-like action-adventure game TUNIC had an excited but small following; their publisher FINJI needed to reach a wider audience with the game’s launch in different platforms.

The Solution

Working closely with FINJI, ICO developed a global communications plan to create strong release hype across eight regions and languages. This included a joint PR campaign aimed at top-tier print and online outlets, Creators Marketing that went beyond, a beautifully crafted and thoughtful press kit, and targeted Paid Media and Social Media campaigns.

This all contributed to a fantastically rich and positive reception generating >2,000 articles, >10 billion impressions, and coverage from >150 top tier outlets.

TUNIC was nominated for five and won two BAFTA awards in 2023.

Press

ICO landed top-tier print, online, video, and podcast coverage from prestigious outlets from December 2021 to March 2022. For launch, we sent out 506 review codes, 42% becoming published reviews - one of which was an illustrated review! Interviews, reviews, podcasts and video content resulted in a significant press presence.

Press Kit

We created a well-received meaningful, and engaging press kit. Recreating the gaming manual from TUNIC alongside a map, pins, notebook, and a hand-made fox finger puppet by various independent makers. Each part had little secrets to discover and language to decipher - including a cryptic puzzle piece.

However, rather than spending the full budget, we also donated a percentage of the press kit cost to wildlife and school charities on the journalist’s behalf.

The press kits were shared on social media, boosting the game's visibility. We then assisted with outreach and moderation of FINJI’s Discord, answering questions.

Creators Marketing

The creators campaign focused on creative content such as cosplay and fan art, alongside featuring gaming content via streams.

47 activations from 39 content creators created 640k+ impressions across USA, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Brazil and Canada.

Paid Media

Partnering with IGN, ICO ran a paid campaign on IGN's Fixed PC and Xbox channels in the U.S. It performed much better than anticipated with a final delivery rate of 109%, with the Fixed Roadblock performing best at 125%.