EPIC GAMES | ASTRONOMICAL | 2020
What Happens When You Throw Out the Laws of Physics / Epic Games "ASTRONOMICAL"
April 2020. The world was still stuck at home. Travis Scott grew to giant size and danced his way across Fortnite's island, trampling everything in his path. 12.3 million people watched at the same time, and 27.7 million joined in over five days—the biggest live event in gaming history.
The problem
In 2020, with COVID wiping out live concerts everywhere, Travis Scott's Coachella set had already been cancelled. The year before, Fortnite had pulled in 10.7 million people for a Marshmello event. So the question became: what if you threw out the laws of physics entirely?
The insight
The winning move was refusing to make this just another livestream. A giant Travis sinks the island, flies through space, does everything that's completely impossible in real life. Players aren't watching from in front of a screen—they're there, as their avatar, actually present in the moment. During a time when everyone was isolated, being able to share the same experience with a huge crowd of other people is what made it work.
The idea
Five shows, one for each time zone, ten minutes each. Giant Travis performs songs like "SICKO MODE" while the world around him keeps transforming through four different settings—an island sinking into the sea, a pitch-black space lit up with neon, a burning amusement park, and finally the surface of a planet. Combat was paused so everyone could just focus on the experience. It ended with him flying around that planet, premiering a new song.
What happened
The first show alone drew 12.3 million simultaneous viewers, and over five days there were 45.8 million total participations. On YouTube it racked up 158 million views, and Travis Scott merchandise sold out within minutes. The campaign went on to win top honors at Cannes Lions and the Clio Awards.
Afterthought
Virtual isn't a stand-in for the real thing—there are things only virtual can do. This proved that, for real. The worst possible timing ended up creating the best possible outcome. People who were there for those ten minutes still say it was something special.
Awards
- Cannes Lions Grand Prix 2020
Featured in
- Opening Shop Inside the GameHow do you step into a world where someone else is already lost in play?
