No suggestions available
Show me all Nike projects
Home

Bethesda Softworks Starfield

Problem

Bethesda was planning a grand return. The studio's first new universe in twenty-five years demanded more than a campaign. Science fiction had grown dark; saturated with super soldiers, spectacle and familiar tropes, the genre had lost its sense of wonder. Making adventure in space feel genuinely awe-inspiring again called for something it hadn't yet seen.

Background

Our relationship with Bethesda spans two decades and two of gaming's most iconic universes: The Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Starfield was new ground: new IP, no established audience, nothing to stand on but ambition.

Ambition

To evolve Bethesda's legacy with the most successful launch in the studio's history. To make the moment as vast as the universe it was creating. To build a new brand spirit for the next generation of explorers, dreamers and creators.

IDEA A call to the next generation of explorers

We began where all great journeys do, with the explorer’s spirit. By creating a new brand ethos, Forever in Adventure, the marketing, brand and game would speak with one unified voice. Through Starfield’s distinct identity, Bethesda would call upon the next generation of explorers, dreamers and creators.

One brand spirit. A new universe. Forever in adventure.

Role

Brand identity
01

Brand identity

Created Starfield’s brand spirit and identity from the ground up. Forever in Adventure shaped the strategic and visual foundation for everything that followed.

02

Game UI

Established the UI concept, aesthetic and experience principles for the game’s interface, delivering prototypes and assets that shaped the final implementation.

Content campaign
03

Content campaign

Created a documentary series that gave audiences an inside track to the studio, its leaders and the ideas shaping the game before a single trailer dropped.

04

World building

Produced animated short films to immerse audiences in Starfield’s world; its characters, tone and lore, giving fans a universe to explore before they ever picked up a controller.

Live stream events
05

Live stream events

Shaped the global livestream events that unveiled Starfield to millions, capturing the scale of the universe on stage.

Launch film
06

Launch film

Made a launch film following a young girl’s imagined journey through space, set to an orchestral rendition of Sir Elton John’s Rocket Man.

Campaign
07

Campaign

Took Starfield to the world. Executed a global media campaign across more than 30 countries and every channel.

Partnerships
08

Partnerships

Supported partnership activations that extended the game’s message, including designing a custom court for the New York Liberty basketball team.

Results

Starfield became the biggest launch in Bethesda’s history. Pre-launch content built the anticipation. The launch confirmed it. The universe landed. The adventures are ongoing. The numbers speak for themselves.

  • 10M

    Players in launch window

  • #1

    Best-selling game in launch window

  • 13%

    Quarterly revenue Y-to-Y increase driven for Xbox

  • Grand

    Design

  • Gold

    Design

  • People’s Choice

    Graphic

  • Gold

    Animation

  • Gold

    Integrated Campaign

At the frontier

ALAÏA

Form before fashion

Bethesda Softworks

Adventure Calls

TikTok

Every commute, an open-air classroom.

Dior

A timeless dream, now online

Montblanc

A world first for the art of writing

Google

Shopping becomes imaginative

Generative Store

Lemaire

A design philosophy, translated to digital

Nike x Kylian Mbappé

Childhood bedroom. Global belief.

Nestlé

Expert nutrition. Now for every family

Starbucks

Loyal to coffee culture

Loyal to coffee culture

Porsche Motorsport

The digital arena of racing

Proximus

Hide from the screen. Seek re-connection

Hide from the screen. Seek re-connection

Volvo

EX60 Reveal

EX60 Reveal

Delta Air Lines

The app that redefined travel

Virtual Donors

A game-changer for organ donation

UN Women NL and DEGIRO

Turning bias into financial opportunity

Netflix

From film launch to evergreen game

Bethesda Softworks

Forever in adventure

SKIMS

Get rewarded for being you

Get rewarded for being you

Museum for the United Nations - UN Live

NATURE. Finally credited

Uber

The Unthinkable Ride

UPS

Easier shipping, stronger businesses

Nike

Serena’s soul of play, decoded by AI

Miami Design District

Where culture comes alive

Where culture comes alive

Tennis Australia

Inventing audible sport

Samsung

Inside the new Galaxy Watch 4

What’s your next frontier?

Footer Fallback Image Gradient
Footer Fallback Image Gradient
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Perspectives
  • AKQA Companies
  • Sustainability
  • News