Arena Media UK
We exist to rewrite the rules of challenger marketing.
We’re a modern media agency built for brands that want to disrupt categories and challenge conventions.
We’re willing to sacrifice some reach to create more impact, more sharing and more talkability. We’re not about reach and frequency.
This is a David vs Goliath story (perhaps more Freddie Kruger vs terrified teenagers) of how Altitude (an indie film company) re-imagined traditional advertising through the lens of branded content. We invited horror fans to 'live' in Talk to Me through Fortnite. Our IP first approach delivered a campaign that went global, smashed box office expectations (2.5m admissions vs expected 1.5m), and secured a sequel by the time the campaign had finished. The game was played 1.4m times, for an average of 55m. 81% of people said it made them want to watch Talk to Me more than any horror film, 85% said they told their friends about it after playing the game. This campaign has now won one GOLD and two SILVER awards at the Media Award Awards 2024 as well as winning a Campaign UK tech Award.
To celebrate Bethesda's first new intellectual property launch in 25 years, we gamified the launch itself... and created a global phenomenon. We created 'Calling All Explorers' - an international campaign that engaged hardcore fans and made space a reality for the masses. We prompted our varied audience to seize the call to adventure - featuring 1001 unique posters reflecting the game's 1000+ different planets - and to track each down using #ExploreStarfield. And it worked - we smashed our player targets by 40%, hitting 10m players within 3 weeks of launch - Bethesda's biggest to date.
After seven long years, everyone’s favourite bear was finally back with another adventure – this time in Peru. Set to be Studio Canal’s biggest release in 2024, an adventure this big surely needed a launch campaign to match. Armed with plenty of marmalade sandwiches, we rose to the occasion, achieving national coverage and mass awareness. Alongside multiple OOH formats, the wonderful world of Paddington was brought to life with incredible creativity, including 24 Paddington statues, picnic benches, an unmissable mural and a 3D special build. As a result, the film was Studio Canal’s biggest ever opening and the biggest British film opening of 2024.
We teamed up with UKTV to launch U, revolutionising free streaming in the UK! Our 360° campaign boosted awareness with a hero 60” TV spot, social takeovers, VOD, standout OOH, and a first-of-its-kind Bauer Media partnership—rebranding Absolute Radio to U&Absolute Radio and Magic Radio to U&Magic Radio. The results? 173,000 sign-ups, a 25% lift in unprompted awareness, 17% increase in consideration, plus an 8% boost in both word-of-mouth and buzz.
Creating an IRL, massive haunted house, trapping top gaming influencers in a creepy and dilapidated mansion. From the unveiling content to our 40-strong influencers experiences in the Haunted House, we saw 234% average weekly growth in social over the campaign period. In total, we achieved a staggering combined 260 million views of influencer content across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, and Instagram. Its unique and immersive nature was celebrated by the gaming community, generating widespread acclaim and engagement within the fandom.
