O2 Launches into Fortnite with exclusive music and gaming experience

O2, its agency VCCP, Island Records and Epic Games have collaborated to bring the O2 experience into the world’s biggest game Fortnite, within Fortnite Creative.

The campaign will connect Fortnite’s global audience of millions with the world-renowned music venue. Inside Fortnite Creative, players will be able to enjoy an interactive musical experience alongside the chance to win exclusive rewards in the Priority app, including tickets to future easy life shows at O2 venues for O2 customers.

Accessible globally, the week-long activation marks the first time that the world’s most popular entertainment venue, The O2, has ever appeared in a video game. Another first for the campaign includes a unique interactive musical experience by the UK’s top up-and-coming Leicester act, easy life, who will virtually perform tracks from their debut album ‘life’s a beach’. They are the first UK act to play within Fortnite Creative.

Once inside the virtual venue users will be able to engage in several gameplay experiences, a vast new space packed with hidden rooms to explore, backstage areas and The O2 Blueroom, where they can complete challenges to unlock exclusive in-game rewards.

Within Fortnite Creative, the O2 x easy life partnership will provide players and music lovers with a range of unique and interactive experiences. Gamers can interact with, unlock, and collect in-game items including a free exclusive ‘Squeezy life’ graffiti Spray. There is also a lobby track that players can unlock in-game only after attending the experience created by easy life and Fortnite that ties into the newly released Fortnite Season 7 Invasion. Bubl, O2's new blue robot and brand character, will feature as gigantic statues throughout The O2 in Fortnite Creative.

The performance starts Thursday, 24th June at 20:30 BST and will be an interactive show where players will be constantly on the move. There will be hoverboards and underwater cinemas and the band will play in the belly of a huge decaying whale. During the show, attendees will be transported to six unique areas, each inspired by a different track from ‘life’s a beach’, pulled straight from the imagination of easy life themselves. The full performance will be posted exclusively to easy life's YouTube channel from Monday, 28th June.

Simon Valcarcel, Head of Brand and Consumer Marcomms at O2, said: “We couldn’t be prouder to work alongside both Island Records and Epic Games to bring such an incredible experience to O2 customers and music fans all over the world via Fortnite Creative.”

VCCP Associate Creative Directors, Ben Hopkins and Morten Legarth, added: “When it came to recreating The O2 in a virtual space there really was only one platform that made the most sense. Working with professional Fortnite creators -- KKSlider, DolphinDom, Hellraiser and Team Cre8 -- we set out to totally reimagine how shows work. We really couldn’t have done it without the trust of our client O2, the support of Epic Games and the shared vision of easy life, their production team and Island Records to help us create a seamless game and music performance experience for players.”

Fortnite Pro-builders, KKSlider, DolphinDom, Hellraiser and Team Cre8, created the entire experience in Fortnite Creative mode, building The O2 from scratch. “Music was always a passion along-side level design and we are absolutely thrilled to have been involved in a project that combines both,” explained Wertandrew, Lead Community Creator at Team Cre8. “This is the first time that an experience features an iconic venue and interactive show, both built from the ground up by Fortnite creators for players and music fans all around the world to enjoy.”

CREDITS

O2

Nina Bibby - Chief Marketing Officer

Simon Groves - Director of Brand & Marcomms

Simon Valcarcel - Head of Brand & Consumer Marcomms

Johnny Winn - Consumer Lead, Brand & Marcomms

Gareth Griffiths - Head of Sponsorship

Nuala Donnelly - Head of Music Sponsorship

Rebecca Martin - Head of The O2

Scott McGregor - Innovation & Proposition Development Lead

Abigail Ridgwell - Marketing Executive

Sally Beamand - Senior Communications Manager

VCCP

Darren Bailes - Chief Creative Officer

David Masterman - Creative Director

Ben Hopkins - Associate Creative Director

Morten Legarth - Associate Creative Director

Tom Lee - Creative

Nishita Upadhyay - Senior Integrated Producer

Jasmine Willson - Integrated Producer

Ryan O’Kane - Head of Integrated Production

Emma Whitmarsh - Head of O2

Alex Dalman - Business Director - Innovation

Stephen Adams - Account Director

Xi Chen - Account Director

Nellie Day - Account Manager

Camila Toro - Planner

Jenny Nichols - Group Planning Director

Alex Scott-Malden - Senior Planner

Nicky Palamarczuk - Head of Social & Influence

Suki Fraser - Social Producer

Carl Sherry - Designer

Tom James - Editor

Georgia Wright - Group Communications Director

Globe/Mercury Studios

Kate Macdonald - VP Partnership Management, Globe

Jennifer Hills - SVP Strategic Marketing & Partnerships, Globe

Saskia Collins - Senior Account Manager, Globe

Beth Lawson - Head of Legal & Business Affairs, Globe

Alastair Smith – Director of Streaming and Commerce, Island Records

Charlie Smith – Marketing Manager, Island Records

Harry Moore – Senior Social Media Manager, Island Records

Lewis Lister – Audience Manager, Island Records

Will Beardmore – Head of Audience, Island Records

Mercury Studios - Production Company

Greg Barth - Director

Will Nichols - Executive Producer

Ramy Dance - Executive Producer

Harriet Davies - Production Manager

Charlie Drinkwater – easy life Creative Director, Charlie Drinkwater Studio

Ollie Slaney, Artist Manager, easy life

Team Cre8 Production

Wertandrew - Level Design/Planning/Gameplay

Hellraiser - Level Design/Gameplay

G_Schway - Art/Level Design

PR Agency: Hope&Glory PR