To capture the attention of audiences in a world full of digital choices, studios need to go bigger than just TV spots and social media ads—creating interactive experiences that cut through the noise and truly connect with these audiences.
To raise awareness of the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paramount sought a bold approach to introduce the iconic heroes—Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo—to the next generation of fans and engage with existing nostalgia audiences while showcasing their unique personalities and their villains.
Partnering with Gamefam, Paramount reimagined how to bring this iconic franchise to an audience that spends over 2.5 hours daily on Roblox. Together, they launched the first-ever playable story on the platform as part of a larger program that extended across popular Roblox games in Gamefam’s network.
The Tales of TMNT campaign aimed to:
- Drive Buzz: Engage millions of Roblox players with an interactive, TMNT-themed experience to generate word-of-mouth chatter and anticipation for the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series.
- Forming Connection: Strengthen the connection between players and the TMNT brand by fostering long-term engagement with the characters and their world, well beyond the series.
- Innovating Promotion: Reimagine how to promote a franchise IP by blending gaming and storytelling in new ways, turning brand IPs into playable stories and adventures that players can indulge in.
STRATEGY:
What happens when you turn a viewer into an active part of the story?
Paramount and Gamefam answered this by tapping into Roblox’s massive audience of nearly 90 million daily active users to build an authentic connection with them and hype them for the new Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series on Paramount+.
At the heart of the campaign was The TMNT Story, the first-ever cinematic, playable story, letting players join an action-packed adventure through iconic TMNT eras. New fans met their heroes, battled iconic villains, and became a part of the Turtles' world.
The campaign also included an NPC takeover with the Turtles appearing in 10 popular Roblox games, sparking curiosity and excitement. As curiosity grew, players were introduced to Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed quests in four of Gamefam’s hit games, building heightened awareness near the time the show launched on Paramount+.
To keep the buzz going, the activation offered players exclusive UGC items, further deepening their connection to the franchise. These rewards were spaced out throughout the event’s duration to keep players engaged.
This program is a powerful example of how to engage audiences in a way that resonates with their media consumption habits, fueling engagement.
EXECUTION:
To raise awareness for Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Paramount and Gamefam crafted a campaign that went beyond TV spots and YouTube content to engage young audiences where they’re most active—Roblox.
- Playable Story for Series Launch: Taking media marketing to next level, The TMNT Story, a cinematic, playable story, took players on a journey through the TMNT multiverse, blending high-production storytelling with interactive gameplay.
- NPC Takeover for Awareness: Before the story, the activation opened with an NPC takeover, where the Turtles appeared in 10 popular Roblox games, generating organic buzz and excitement through this unexpected entry.
- Cross-Game TMNT Quest: Building on the momentum, players were introduced to a TMNT-themed quest across multiple Gamefam titles like TMNT Battle Tycoon and SpongeBob Simulator.
- Spreading the Word: Roblox influencers amplified reach by creating and sharing custom content on YouTube, sparking excitement among young fans.
- Exclusive Rewards: To keep players engaged, the program offered TMNT-themed UGC (user-generated content) items, sustaining the buzz beyond the event.
By leveraging Roblox’s immersive platform, this activation set a new standard for bringing franchise IP to new audiences, letting audiences play alongside their favorite characters. It kept the characters and storylines of Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at the top of viewers' minds before and after the show’s release.
CHALLENGES:
The campaign development process faced a few challenges:
- Balancing Story and Gameplay: Ensuring the playable story was equally entertaining as a game and effective as a storytelling tool for the new TMNT series.
- Organically Integrate TMNT Elements: While Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a perfect fit for TMNT Battle Tycoon, selecting other games to reach the right audience was key. Integrating TMNT elements into other games required careful adjustments to ensure the themed content made each game more enjoyable.
- Building Connection with the Turtles: The activation focused on letting players connect with the TMNT world by playing alongside the iconic heroes and villains, with a subtle tie to the upcoming series.
- Sustaining Excitement for the IP Over Time: We needed to keep players enthused about the IP throughout the campaign and building excitement for the series. This meant introducing a variety of quests and rewards, to keep the characters top of mind and encourage players to stay connected with them.
Live for 6 weeks from July 26, 2024 through Sept. 6, 2024, the Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles program delivered impressive results:
- Reaching the Masses: The program generated 37.1 million total visits and 193.9 million total brand engagements, capturing the attention of a wide audience and introducing the Turtles to the next generation of fans.
- Deep engagement: Players engaged in 484.3M minutes of gameplay throughout the event, which is equivalent to watching the entire Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 12-episode first season more than 1.8M times.
- Virtual Merch Madness: Engaged by challenging and unique quests, players redeemed 125K+ UGC items, showcasing strong participation and enthusiasm.
- Streaming Success: Tales of the TMNT debuted as the #2 most watched kids and family original series on Paramount+.
Video for Ninja Turtles Level Up Engagement with the First Playable Story on Roblox
