Since its initial release in October 2003, \u201cCall of Duty\u201d (COD) has been one of the world’s most popular first-person shooter (FPS) games. It has remained the best-selling FPS franchise globally year after year, with 400 million games sold by 2021. COD is so wildly popular among gamers that content creators, video game influencers, athletes, musicians, and artists are now coming together for an exclusive sneak peek of the newest COD game during an event called COD NEXT.<\/p>\n
John Higgins, CEO and founder of OS Studios<\/a>, a gamer-focused experiential marketing agency, has been on the ground floor of the creation and execution of COD NEXT. Along with help from partners such as GPJ, their sister agency, the team at OS Studios has created the ultimate hype machine for the newest COD release.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are creating an immersive environment for \u2018Call of Duty\u2019 partners, development teams, and the studio behind the title \u2014 from the main broadcast to 250 individual creator experiences,\u201d explains Higgins.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s release, \u201cCOD: Black Ops 6,\u201d was welcomed with much fanfare by these VIPs who took part in COD NEXT \u2014- and even broke some records.<\/p>\n The goal of the OS Studios team was to build excitement for their client, Activision, and the newest iteration of their world-famous game. \u201cThey make world-class games,\u201d says Higgins, \u201cbut we have to take a moment to recognize them as one of the best in the business in marketing<\/a>, storytelling, and creative strategy. Their campaigns could rival those of any Hollywood studios any day.\u201d<\/p>\n It was OS Studio\u2019s job to harness that creative energy and create an event around it. To say that their efforts were successful would be an understatement.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t just top Twitch,\u201d Higgins says. \u201cWe hit number one on most major streaming platforms, trended on X, and dominated the top 200 streamers’ social timelines \u2014 it was madness!\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to garnering the world\u2019s attention, the event also set a rather quirky Guinness World Record. \u201cActivision achieved the \u2018largest marionette of a video game character\u2019 with \u2018Abby,\u2019 the nickname given to The Abomination from \u2018Black Ops,\u2019\u201d Higgins remarks.<\/p>\n This kind of immersive, incredibly engaging, award-winning event comes naturally to Higgins and the team at OS Studios. They pride themselves on being \u201cculture vultures\u201d and creating exactly what the next generation of fans is clamouring for \u2014 because they are the next generation of fans.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are audience experts,\u201d explains Higgins. \u201cNot just industry experts.\u201d<\/p>\nAlso read:<\/span> 2021\u2019s Top 10 Business Process Management Software<\/a><\/span>\n For OS Studios, COD NEXT and its double-billing partner, the \u201cCall of Duty\u201d Endowment (CODE) Bowl, is something they feel privileged to be involved in. CODE Bowl brings together top military esports athletes from the United States and allied forces such as Canada and the UK to compete in \u201cCall of Duty.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an impactful event,\u201d Higgins notes. \u201cIt reminds us of the incredible work the \u2018Call of Duty<\/a>\u2019 Endowment Fund does to help veterans find jobs and reintegrate into society.\u201d<\/p>\n For Higgins and his team, COD NEXT is an opportunity to create a moment that makes the world stop and listen. \u201cWhen Activision launches a \u2018Call of Duty,\u2019 the whole world takes notice,\u201d says Higgins. For OS Studios\u2019 part, they want that launch to be not just a moment but a movement. They want to ensure that the COD NEXT event doesn\u2019t just trend on X but takes over the attention of the internet on a global scale. \u201cEvery year, Activision is raising the bar with their games. We want to match that with the hype we help them bring to the conversation, and the numbers speak for themselves,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n On Activision’s side, COD NEXT and CODE BOWL are led by trailblazing experiential storytellers such as Kecia Christiansen, Activision\u2019s Director of Experiential Marketing, and Helene Imperiale, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility & \u201cCall of Duty\u201d Endowment Marketing, whom Higgins credits for the reason this entire event happens each year. \u201cThey are both complete rockstars I\u2019m lucky enough to work for and laugh with,\u201d he says.<\/p>\nAlso read:<\/span> How To Refinance Student Loans? Top Companies List + FAQs<\/a><\/span>\n Higgins has been focused on creative storytelling in marketing and events since his first company, Mayhem, made its mark on the theatre scene. Recognizing that he could build something on a much larger scale, Higgins moved up to creating experiential events and broadcasts for the gaming industry, which has taken over the cultural imagination in the past few decades.<\/p>\n1 on Twitch and Then Some<\/h2>\n
Not just an Event, but a Moment<\/h2>\n
Telling The Story<\/h2>\n