Digitas UK joined forces with EE and Saatchi to bring a virtual game store to Fortnite

Produced by Digitas and Saatchi & Saatchi, the activation supports the launch of EE's Game Store, inviting Fortnite players to take on popular gaming streamers.

“Capture the store” was produced by a specialist gaming team formed from Publicis Groupe stablemates Digitas and Saatchi & Saatchi.

On 19 and 20 August, four Twitch streamers – Nick Eh 30, Merl, Chica and Jalen – will challenge other players inside EE’s custom-built Fortnite map, which is modelled after its recently launched Game Store. The action will also be streamed live on each of their respective Twitch channels, with highlights then shared across EE’s social channels.

Pete Jeavons, marketing communications director at EE, said: “By recruiting some of the world’s best streamers for this campaign, we are firmly putting the EE Game Store on the map and taking another step forward in our ambition to be the UK’s number one destination for gaming.”

The custom map was produced by in-game advertising platform SuperAwesome and created using Fortnite’s Creative 2.0 platform, which enables publishers to build custom in-game worlds using 3D creation tool Unreal Engine 5. The tool was also recently used by EE to create an ad announcing the Game Store’s launch.

To promote the activation and recruit players to participate, a 20-second short film will run across online video, display, social and out-of-home advertising.

The spot shows what the action-packed experience will look like, featuring gameplay from the map and showing the EE logo dropped as a pinned destination.

Jeavons added: "The exciting thing about this activation is putting our new EE Game Store into an authentic game play setting. Rather than simply telling gamers about the EE Game Store, we are letting them discover it on their terms, in the virtual world of Fortnite.”

Players can register to join on EE’s official website. Those who successfully win against the streamers will win a PlayStation 5 and an ASUS gaming headset. All participants will also be given a £5 discount code to use for the Game Store.

Ben Mooge, chief creative officer of Publicis Groupe UK, said: “Gamers love freebies. And they love a challenge. So we assembled a crack team from across Digitas and Saatchi and made a unique Fortnite game with an EE Store at the heart of it, filled with the latest gaming gear that anyone can claim."

Saatchi & Saatchi’s William John was the campaign’s executive creative director, while Digitas’ Ben Sawyer was the campaign’s art director and Bjorn Conradi was also a creative director. Rob Morris was the copywriter.

Media planning and buying was handled by EE’s media agency, EssenceMediacomX.