The "Coldplay Concert Tycoon" activation was born from a vision to redefine fan engagement through a first-of-its-kind gamified music experience in Fortnite. Our goal was to immerse fans in Coldplay's newly released "Moon Music" album in a way that transcended traditional listening, giving them agency in an interactive, narrative-driven environment. By combining the thrill of Coldplay’s music with the immersive power of gaming, we aimed to create a seamless blend of gameplay and music appreciation, allowing fans to experience the album, not just listen to it. This experience was designed to capture fan attention, maximize playtime, and establish new benchmarks in both gaming and music fandom engagement. The main objectives included reaching a vast audience and exposing them to Coldplay's new album, fostering deep engagement with the band, and achieving high player retention through innovative gamification.
Our strategy focused on developing an experience that felt uniquely Coldplay—intergalactic, immersive, and inspiring—while utilizing Fortnite’s capabilities to the fullest. Partnering with iHeart Media allowed us to leverage the established fanbase within iHeartLand’s State Farm Park. To ensure a standout activation, we introduced a phased, narrative-based structure: players started by constructing a rocket launchpad, moved on to building a lunar base, and culminated in creating a concert stage, with each phase corresponding to a Coldplay track. As players progressed, they unlocked exclusive areas and interactive, reactive environments tailored to reflect the themes of "Moon Music."
A major executional challenge was creating an experience that functioned simultaneously as a game and a concert, a feat that had never been attempted at this scale within Fortnite. Most concerts take form a linear A to Z narrative walk through and we want to build a fun core game loop players love already (Tycoon) and bring Coldplay into it in an organic way. To maintain player engagement, we designed each phase with escalating challenges and rewards, integrating Coldplay’s music and commentary to deepen the fans’ connection to the album.
Technical challenges included crafting dynamic environments that responded to player actions in sync with the music. By harnessing Unreal Engine's capabilities, our team implemented reactive visuals and interactive elements, keeping players engaged in an evolving musical journey. This attention to detail—creating seamless transitions from Earth to the moon and back—helped make the experience truly immersive. Additionally, we leveraged in-game analytics to monitor engagement and adjusted gameplay features in real-time to maintain high levels of interaction and satisfaction among players.
"Coldplay Concert Tycoon" not only met but far exceeded our objectives. Garnering nearly 50 million impressions and hitting trending on Fortnite, the experience captured an average playtime of over 24 minutes per player, showcasing deep engagement and retention. It achieved top rankings across categories—#1 in Epic Picks, #1 in Gaining Traction, #1 in New and Top Rated, and #3 in Up and Coming. Fans enthusiastically embraced the activation, with thousands favoriting and liking the game, while also sharing their gameplay and music journey across social media. By merging the thrill of a Coldplay concert with the interactive appeal of gaming, we successfully set a new standard in the industry for fan experiences, establishing "Coldplay Concert Tycoon" as a landmark activation in the realm of gamified music engagement.
