Waste Creative x Supercell: Clash Royale's "Goblin Hijack"

Keeping players hooked is no easy feat. Supercell, the legendary video game company behind Clash Royale, had a new game update to promote: 'Goblin Queen’s Journey'. So they teamed up with Keywords studio Waste Creative. What happened next? A cheeky puppet goblin stole the spotlight... and cranked up player engagement.

The new update introduced a new game mode, adding a fresh layer of strategy and excitement for players. To effectively promote this significant update, Supercell needed a campaign that would capture the imagination of its diverse player base and stand out in a crowded market.

Introduction

Partnering with Supercell, we cooked up the 'Goblin Hijack' campaign. We wanted to do something different, something that would stand out. So, we ditched the usual 2D and 3D animations and dove into the world of puppetry.

Enter: the cheeky puppet Goblin, who "hijacks" video content from seventeen Clash Royale creators. These creators’ videos get hilariously interrupted by our Goblin, who then invites viewers to join the Goblin army and help us dethrone the king.

It’s been a lot of fun to explore the world of puppetry for this new Supercell campaign. Introducing a Goblin puppet as a community manager feels like a fresh approach to promoting the most significant update of the year. We loved seeing how this playful film content resonated with the community and built excitement around the update.

Tasmin Lobley

Associate Creative Director at Waste Creative, a Keywords Studio

Bringing the Campaign to Life

Making this campaign pop was all about blending creativity with technical know-how. We teamed up with puppeteer Chris Barlow and assistant puppeteer Emily Booth to bring the Goblin to life. Directors Iestyn Evans and Andy Heath of Talk to the Hand helped us nail the comedic timing and visual style.

In addition to the hijacked videos, we created a special episode of Clash Royale's TV Royale show, dubbed 'Goblin Royale'. In this episode, our puppet Goblin takes the reins as the new community manager, bringing even more laughs and engagement. Then, we spread the campaign across Clash Royale’s social channels, making sure it reached the widest audience possible.

Results

The 'Goblin Hijack' campaign was a fresh take for Supercell. By stepping into the world of puppetry, we created a campaign that was not only memorable but also highly engaging. Players said they loved the humour and creativity, and it helped drive excitement for the 'Goblin Queen’s Journey' update.

We were excited to announce our most significant update of the year, and to mark this, we wanted to create some truly engaging content that would surprise our players and community. The team at Waste has brilliantly brought our vision and Clash Royale humour to life, crafting a playful and unique campaign that got our players' attention.

Erol Tekkanat

Product Marketing at Supercell