Activision Blizzard’s Emerging Franchises team wanted the Steam release of Crash Bandicoot 4 to feel like an event, not another game drop.
The challenge:
Get 150 influential streamers genuinely excited.
Cut through influencer fatigue in an over-pitched category.
Make the kit personal, nostalgic, and unmistakably Crash.
Execute globally with minimal lift from their internal team.
My Role
As the director on the Thumbprint side, I transformed a standard “influencer kit” request into a fully themed, story-driven activation. I owned:
The core concept and narrative.
How every product, print, and packaging touchpoint connected.
Directing design, sourcing customization, and kitting to ensure everything shipped on time and on brand.
The Idea: A Fake Pizza Brand for a Real Launch
We started with one insight: during a big launch, gamers practically live at their desks, pizza box open and gamer fuel in hand.
From that, I pitched and Activision Blizzard approved, The Aku Aku Steam-In Pizza Shack Kit, a fictional Crash-themed pizza delivery brand designed to show up like a late-night order.
Key creative decisions I drove:
Theme: Crash meets greasy pizza night, framed as a delivery experience, not a swag box.
Visual identity: Naming, logo direction, and the full “pizza shack” aesthetic.
Narrative unboxing: A layer-by-layer reveal like a side-scroller, ending with a “receipt” sticker teasing the Steam launch date.
Inside the box:
Crash delivery shirt and cap to complete the "delivery" joke.
Bluetooth speaker and charging cord as “fuel” for long sessions.
Custom gaming placemat styled as a dining mat.
A faux pizza receipt hiding the official release date as an Easter egg.
Every item had a role: build the gag, honor the franchise, and stay camera-ready.
Execution: From Concept to Doorstep
Once approved, I led the internal team through:
Product sourcing aligned to the theme and budget.
Packaging design that mirrored a real pizza box.
Kitting instructions and QC for a consistent, intentional unboxing.
Global dropshipping via our platform so Activision could stay focused on launch strategy.
Impact: Built to Be Clipped
The kit did exactly what it was designed to do. It spoke to the influencers, who created videos, which other gaming media picked up and wrote articles on.
Campaign highlights:
40+ media placements across fan and industry outlets.
400M+ estimated online reach.
Dozens of organic unboxing videos across YouTube, Twitch, and social.
Direct fan engagement asking where to get the kit.
Influencers discovering and sharing the hidden launch-date Easter egg.
For Activision, this became more than a mailer, it became a mini-campaign that:
Turned a standard code drop into a story worth streaming.
Allowed their team to offload the entire physical experience.
Proved that when merch is treated as narrative, not leftover, it can drive real launch momentum and create a much wider announcement to your audience.
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