Player Research – Playtester

Having revolutionised high-fidelity remote playtesting during the pandemic, Player Research were ready to expand their playtester pool beyond the localities of their main hubs in Brighton, UK and Montreal, Canada.  Cementing their position as a vanguard in playtesting (they literally wrote the book) they were looking to attract a global and diverse pool of gamers – from folks who play Candy Crush on their mobile phones, to dedicated gamers with their custom-cooled PCs. The team came to us for a creative campaign that would move people to take action – to sign up and begin their playtesting journey – across a number of distinct gaming styles.

Although Player Research had primed their UK audiences with the catchy strapline ‘Play games, get paid.’, this message was blocking them from launching into other markets across the globe. Instead, we drew reference to a familiar moniker that paralleled the user experience process to becoming a playtester: Ready. Set. Playtest.

We delivered a campaign that targeted unique and hard-to-reach gamer groups, leveraging iconic visual tropes to provide a universally understandable entry point. Punctuated by gamer language and immersive custom imagery, the campaign aimed to instantly evoke nostalgic connections. By tapping into conventional archetypes through customised illustration, typeface and bespoke alphabet, we empowered gamers to identify with whatever type of gameplay they associate with – enabling everyone to tap into their chosen interests.

In an industry where players want to be the first to get their hands on the latest release, product or feature, we developed a campaign hook full of urgency and fun… “Ready. Set. Playtest.” This playful, encouraging yet competitive call-to-action was put to work to attract potential playtesters to sign up to Player Research and veto other gaming researchers. Through a suite of eight hero assets, we invited a certain type of player to step up to the stage – from galaxy defenders and trickshotters, to highscore chasers and getaways drivers.

We approached the client brief with a desire to make sure that ‘8 design assets’ didn’t solely mean just eight jpg files. Instead, we ensured Player Research had access to a toolkit that would champion their new brand assets and provide longevity.

Our design team delivered a three tiered workflow. Tier 1 being the original production of eight hero images showcasing each gaming archetype and campaign hook, featuring custom typography and imagery. Tier 2 created the ‘Playtester Alphabet’, a custom typeface with each letter of the alphabet inspired by popular game genres. Tier 3 presented custom art-worked backboards, so that Player Research had more substance to their brand communication design assets, going deeper than just a backdrop of their colour palette.

Handing over this functional toolkit to the Player Research team enabled them, and their future design partners, to create their own customised content as their messaging needs evolved – always on-brand and instantly recognisable.

Not everyone has heard of playtesting. But by triggering an instant emotive connection, our campaign got people excited about embarking on their own adventure. We provided the ability for Player Research to communicate an engaging brand experience which builds both anticipation and inclusion for everyone involved, gamifying the invite to playtest and speaking the language of all players. So everyone from self-proclaimed gamers, to occasional Candy Crushers, to parents and children, all have the opportunity to unlock rewards from playing games.

Armed with hyper-targeted creative collateral that allows audiences to feel included and personally primed to start their relationship with Player Research, our work segments the playtester sign-up process into digestible chunks. This equips Player Research with the ability to onboard more playtesters into their ranks, while better streamlining the interests and ambitions of potential ambassadors. And all in compliance with advertising and employment laws in specific global regions.

This project goes beyond ‘sweating an asset’ to show how strategic campaign design can deliver long-lived value to our clients. Supplying a functional toolkit not only maximises the production of multiple assets but also inspires in-house creativity and confidence to share their brand with the world.