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OMEN by HP @ Anime Expo 2023 #SpiritofFun

For its debut at Anime Expo 2023, OMEN by HP, a leading gaming brand, aimed to create an immersive experience that would resonate with the anime community. The challenge was to break through the noise of other PC/gaming brands at the event and position OMEN by HP as a lifestyle brand, leveraging the statistically proven overlap between the gaming and anime communities. 

The ultimate goal was to showcase a new product and demonstrate OMEN by HP as a portal to fun with an innovative, authentic and fun immersive activation that would connect with its Gen Z target audience. Infinity Marketing Team (IMT), a member of the Pico Group, was entrusted with the project’s concept and creative development, event strategy, creative design, production, fabrication, innovation/technology, influencer management and execution, social media/digital activation strategy, hotel room blocks, and show services.

activation

Insight

Given the substantial portion of Gen Z in the US that consumes anime, there was an opportunity to tap into this engaged audience. Anime Expo, one of the largest Japanese cultural events in North America, serves as a direct connection between the anime industry and its fans. Recognising this, the project team sought to engage the community by presenting HP OMEN by HP as a lifestyle brand that caters to gamers and anime fans alike, while strategically positioning it as the only PC brand at Anime Expo.

Solution

The IMT team employed a multifaceted strategy, strategically partnering with a group of influencers with a commanding presence on YouTube and in both the anime and gaming worlds. To extend its reach, OMEN by HP decided to also create a digital experience on YouTube, which gave Gen Z users the opportunity to experience the fun while increasing OMEN by HP ’s YouTube channel subscribers and retargetability.

This was transformed to reality through a series of on-site activations at the Anime Expo, including environments like the OMEN by HP Bedroom, Magical Cherry Blossoms, Super-Sized Ramen, Neo Tokyo City Corridor and an XR/LED stage. Each offered attendees a chance to immerse themselves in an alternate reality, celebrating the limitless possibilities brought to life through OMEN by HP .

The campaign’s influencer component was particularly successful. Influencers who had a physical OMEN by HP set-up created a unified experience across multiple platforms, boosting brand awareness and fostering positive social sentiment. Allowing them creative freedom resulted in unique content that resonated with their audiences.

OMEN by HP Market

The highlight of the activation was the OMEN by HP Market, where featured anime artists created exclusive products and custom artwork. All merchandise came with a custom tote, designed by featured artists, which included a QR code directing attendees to a Best Buy store where they could interact with and explore OMEN by HP products.

XR/LED Stage

Another highlight was the XR/LED Stage, a giant stage with a virtual background for guests to immerse themselves in other worlds. In partnership with anime artists, the team created three unique scenes to introduce the ‘Spirits of Fun’. This gave guests an opportunity to choose their own adventure and select a custom music track, personalising their final output for social media. With an LED wall behind them and tracking, guests felt they were within the anime scene with its moving background and digital floor.

Results

The OMEN by HP @ Anime Expo 2023 #SpiritofFun activation was a resounding success:

  • 10,145 people waited in hour-long queues to discover their Spirit of Fun (a 45% increase over HP’s original goal of 7,000)
  • 2.6+ million people participated in the digital YouTube experience (a 225% increase over the original goal of 800,000)
  • Nearly 50 million brand impressions
  • A 102% increase in OMEN by HP YouTube channel subscribers.
  • A 100% positive sentiment
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