Role: Lead Strategist
Before he became a total jerk, PewDiePie was a Swedish-born game reviewer who boasted 40+ million subscribers and 10 billion + views, making him the biggest star on YouTube.
We identified his 26th birthday as the perfect opportunity to create a viral moment for PlayStation and organically earn the voice of a powerful influencer with a massive network.
We didn’t want to give PewDiePie just any present, we wanted to give him something worth talking about, that only PlayStation could give. Instead of sending a branded gift box or self-promotional mailer, we sent PewDiePie a one-of-a-kind personalized gift inside something he’d never expect to receive from a company an ocean away: A freshly baked birthday cake with “Greatness Awaits Inside” written on top and a custom Dual Shock 4 hidden inside. Is there anything cake can’t do?
PewDiePie discovered the cake and made a video about the controller to the tune of 3.4 million views.
- We organically trended on Facebook for an entire day and got press coverage on everything from Entertainment Weekly to Polygon.
- All with zero media dollars and zero talent costs.
