Case Study: GMC Hummer | Touch Grass
Overview
Artifact was responsible for developing and producing key deliverables for the Call of Duty League’s 2023 partnership with GMC to support the launch of the Hummer EV. These elements included an opening video for the broadcast featuring the Hummer EV, as well as a short-form content series titled Touch Grass, where Esports players were interviewed in the vehicle in their respective teams’ cities.
The Challenge
The broadcast opener required multiple versions throughout the year, each portraying the host city of every major event. With a limited number of actual Hummer EVs available for production, we had to find a way to film the vehicle in all those disparate locations within a severely restricted timeframe.
Touch Grass episodes premiered right before scheduled major events, and this interview series required a strong degree of relevance to ensure it would resonate with the CDL audience. We needed to capture content specific to each unique event, while working with limited talent availability, strict production schedules, and complex approval requirements.
Our Approach
Using a volume stage, an Unreal Engine environment, and a real Hummer EV, Artifact captured the vehicle in numerous virtual environments that were realistic but included stylized moments, bringing a unique artistic sensibility to the broadcast opening sizzle. This approach allowed us to capture imagery of the vehicle in all the event locations in the most efficient way possible.
For Touch Grass, a robust post-production schedule ensured subject matter relevance by capturing content within a week of final delivery. This quick turnaround allowed talent to discuss the current state of events in the Call of Duty League, keeping topics hyper-current in a constantly evolving space.
Results
The broadcast opening videos for each Call of Duty League broadcast were elevated by incorporating the city-specific Hummer EV shots, making each one special and wholly unique. Additional b-roll filmed at previous events provided a shot of editorial adrenaline and clearly outlined the stakes of the multiple storylines for players and teams. Those storylines were further emphasized and complimented by the insight from players gleaned in the Touch Grass series.
The 2023 season saw record-breaking viewership for the Call of Duty League with nearly 43 million hours watched, a 200% increase from 2022. Major events across the country were consistently sold out and both Touch Grass and the broadcast opener were both seen in arenas by tens of thousands of CDL fans.