ANNO 117: PAX ROMANA

Anno, a beloved German builder game with 25+ years of history, had an awareness problem. Our solution? Focus on the game's core theme: BUILDING. But how do you reveal a fan-favorite setting with no gameplay footage? As any game would set in the Roman Empire, we introduced a Town Crier to break the news, and what happened next was absolute chaos…in the best way possible.

Attracting over 1.1 million live viewers at Ubisoft Forward in 2024, the reveal trailer was lauded the funniest trailer of the summer game announcements. It garnered over 6 million views in just weeks – a 200% increase from the previous Anno 1800 reveal in 2017, all without paid support!! And I was even able to honor the development studio by debuting the trailer on stage with Manuel Reinher.

The Town Crier let us engage fans while the game was still in development — no gameplay needed. Fans loved him so much they petitioned to add him to the actual game. To keep the reveal momentum going, we launched The Scroll of Fame, honoring 117 fans who'd been requesting a Roman Empire setting since 2019. We responded to their posts individually and immortalized them in a 10-minute video. The result? A 'marketing coup' that boosted brand engagement by 104% and gave fans their own place in Anno history on an endless digital scroll.
Visit the Scroll of Fame HERE…and yes, we listened to all the fans and put the Town Crier in the game!

THE REBRAND of ANNO 117: PAX ROMANA

We took BUILDING literally — and brought what it means to be a builder to life, by forging the new logo from steel with a blacksmith, a gaming first. This anthem, revealed to players via a Twitch stream inspired a commitment to craft within our fans and they started to recreate the logo everywhere: in Anno 1800, as wooden keychains, earrings, 3D-printed models (that they lovingly mailed to the studio), tablecloths, even nail art. Proving that Anno fans and players really are builders!

The negative space in the Anno 'A' became the in-game cursor — a hidden easter egg players loved. Now the 'A' appears on rings, t-shirts, laptop stickers, keycaps, statues, and more: a badge of honor for builders everywhere. Fans loved it so much they demanded it be featured in the collector's edition. We delivered, and I was even immortalized in-game (Anno 1800) as 'The Fan of Letters.'"

Notable press coverage: World Brand Design, Its Nice That, Graphic Design USA, Creative Boom, IGN
Awards: D&AD (Gaming & Virtual Worlds: Trailers), NYX Gold (Brand Identity), NYX Silver (Advertising Campaign)
Agency Partners: Wieden & Kennedy Amsterdam and Wolff Olins