Comedic and Meta Spot Features Lil Dicky, GaTa, and Director Tony Yacenda
Xbox and Trailer Park Group are excited to reveal their brand new spot for PC Game Pass at the 2021 Game Awards—an unexpected, meta, and comedic campaign spot titled ‘Game Pass Has PC Games,’ featuring the on-screen and behind-the-camera talent from the FX hit series, DAVE including rapper/actor Dave Burd (aka Lil Dicky), GaTa, and director Tony Yacenda.
PC Game Pass, formerly known as Xbox Game Pass for PC, offers incredible value to PC gamers including access to a library of over 100 high-quality PC games including brand new games on day one from Xbox Game Studios and a collection of EA PC games with EA Play. Xbox has successfully marketed itself as a console brand over the last 20 years, but now, as it continues to put the gamer first, it is looking to drive awareness about its PC offering with a PC Gaming audience.
“PC Game Pass offers something that we know PC gamers love. Games. From brand new games on day one like Halo Infinite to select indies and blockbusters, we know our service has an incredible PC catalog that we believe PC gamers globally will enjoy. This campaign is centered around showing up and meeting PC gamers where they are, leading with great PC games, and leveraging the help of well-known influencers like Dave, GaTa, and 100 Thieves to land that direct message, Game Pass Has PC games.” said Abhi Shah, Lead Integrated Marketing Manager for Xbox Game Pass.
The spot opens in a conference room where Dave and GaTa are being pitched by a fictional ad agency team to perform a cliché branded rap at the Game Awards. Clearly mortified, Dave flips the script and offers an alternative idea, playing into his own background as an ad agency veteran, expertly deconstructing the service and what the ad should be. What follows is a fast-paced spot with Dave and GaTa driving a reality-style creative brainstorm with jokes, cameos from popular streamers, leaked game announcements (tweeted in real-time by GaTa during the Awards), dozens of hidden real PC Game Pass subscription codes, and several fourth-wall-breaking stunts.
Noah Eichen, Group Creative Director, Gaming, Trailer Park Group, said: “By bringing together Dave, GaTa, and Tony, we were able to partner with a core team that understands self-aware, unapologetically direct humor. They are at the top of their game in entertainment and were the perfect partners to help us craft a piece of content that leveraged their expertise for what they make for TV and translating that to land our brand story in an authentic way that will resonate with PC gamers on one of the biggest stages in gaming. This approach was intrinsic to the DNA of our campaign and is something that we see as the future of marketing.”
“The creative idea was born out of our real brainstorm around what we could do on stage at the Game Awards—knowing that we wanted to declare that Game Pass has PC games,” said Geordie Larratt-Smith, VP, Gaming, Trailer Park Group. “Dave was a natural partner, not least because he has a well-documented ad agency background. Of course our first thought was him rapping, but then we thought ‘what if we make a spot about making a spot in The Game Awards?” And we never looked back after that.”
Following its debut at The Game Awards, the spot will appear in paid social and online video.
Launched in 2017, Xbox Game Pass has steadily grown to help gamers discover their next favorite game on the devices they have, providing access to hundreds of games for a low monthly subscription fee, all at incredible value to the consumer. Its PC games offering, now known as PC Game Pass, is available for just $9.99 / month, and include brand new PC games on day one like Halo Infinite, iconic Bethesda PC games, EA Play on PC, and over 100 more high-quality PC games to discover. New members can get their first 3 months for $1.
CREDITS:
MICROSOFT/XBOX
Craig McNary – Director, Global Brand & Integrated Marketing
Abhi Shah – Lead Global Integrated Marketing Manager, Xbox Game Pass
Omar Smith – Global Integrated Marketing, Xbox Game Pass
Jen Buckmaster – Music & Entertainment Partnerships, Global Media Team
Jeff Rubenstein – Xbox Comms
Sean Morgan – Xbox Comms
TRAILER PARK GROUP
Geordie Larratt-Smith – VP, Gaming
Noah Eichen – Group Creative Director, Writer, Rapper
Fern Espinoza – Design Director
Max-Anderson-Goldstein – Senior Copywriter
Steve Worden – Senior Art Director
David Espinoza – Designer
Sara Cook – Account Director
Melissa Zabala – Director, Project Management
Michelle Tan – Project Manager
Kyle Calkins – Associate Director of Strategy
Evan Astrowsky – Executive Producer
Rachel McIntyre – SVP, Business Affairs
Diana Acunto – Talent Administrator
SMUGGLER
Sue Yeon Ahn – Executive Producer
Benjamin Glovitz – Producer
Tony Yacenda – Director
Brian Lannin – Director of Photography
Almitra Corey – Production Designer
ARCADE EDIT
Paul Martinez – Editor
Dean Miyahira – Assistant Editor
Kirsten Thon-Webb – Senior Producer
MOM & POP
Shane Reed – Colorist
TIMBER
FORMOSA GROUP
ANIMATED STORYBOARDS
Connor Stikney – Producer
Sara Collins – Marketing Director
BETA PATROL
Bryan Ray Turcotte – Partner, Creative Director
Dayna Turcotte – Executive Producer
Andy Brohard – Producer
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ABOUT TRAILER PARK GROUP
Trailer Park Group is the industry leader in entertainment marketing and content production, with locations in Hollywood (HQ), New York, London, and Mumbai. Launched in 1994, Trailer Park Group provides best-in-class creative, production, strategy, and social/influencer expertise across AV/content (Trailer Park), design (Art Machine), and live-action/experiential (Mirada)—servicing streaming, theatrical, gaming, and brand clients. For more information, please visit trailerparkgroup.com.
ABOUT XBOX GAME PASS & PC GAME PASS
Launched in 2017, Xbox Game Pass has steadily grown to help gamers discover their next favorite game on the devices they have, providing access to hundreds of games for a low monthly subscription fee, all at incredible value to the consumer. Its PC games offering, now known as PC Game Pass, is available for just $9.99 / month and includes brand new PC games on day one like Halo Infinite, iconic Bethesda PC games, EA Play on PC, and over 100 more high-quality PC games to discover. New members can get their first 3 months for $1.
ABOUT LIL DICKY:
David Andrew Burd, known by his stage name Lil Dicky, is a multi-platinum rapper and comedian. He came to prominence with the release of the music video for his song “Ex-Boyfriend,” which went viral with more than one million views on YouTube in 24 hours. In 2015, Burd released his debut album Professional Rapper that featured collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Fetty Wap, Rich Homie Quan, T-Pain, and Brendon Urie. The record debuted at number #7 on the Billboard 200, topped the Rap Albums and Independent Albums charts, and spent over 100 weeks atop the Comedy Albums chart. In 2019, Burd debuted “Earth,” a music-led initiative to raise awareness for climate change and the environment. Accompanied by an animated short film, which featured cameos from Justin Bieber, Sia, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, Kevin Hart, and more, the initiative raised over $800k for climate change and COVID-19 relief organizations.
In March 2020, Burd debuted his FX show, “DAVE,” to widespread success and much critical acclaim. Based on his own life and developed alongside Emmy-winning writer Jeff Schaffer, he stars in the show and also takes writing and producing credits. The show centers on a neurotic man in his late twenties who has convinced himself that he’s destined to be one of the best rappers of all time.
ABOUT GATA:
Actor, rapper, and mental health advocate GaTa is a Los Angeles native and spiritual cornerstone of the Lil Dicky camp. In 2020, GaTa rose to prominence in the first season of FX’s hit series “DAVE” during one of the season’s most pivotal episodes focused on his own mental health struggles. His success as an actor received widespread critical acclaim from the likes of the Los Angeles Times who called him a “breakout sitcom star.” GaTa will also co-star in a new film, Not An Artist, alongside Bobby “RZA” Diggs, Haley Joel Osment and Cleopatra Coleman as well as a new stoner comedy with MGK, Megan Fox and Pete Davidson. Most recently, GaTa debuted a new song “Havin It,” which was released alongside an accompanying music video.