The world’s your desktop / At first glance, a gaming browser releasing a limited edition fashion collection might feel incongruous, but the Prêt-à-Portable Collection is effective precisely because it is aligning itself with culture at large, not just gaming culture. A web browser is typically a low-interest product, so by tapping into high-interest events or trends, Opera GX can flex its cultural literacy and street smarts. A major challenge for marketers can be engaging customers in ways that feel fresh and worth their time. They can fall prey to taking a myopic view of their product or industry and end up talking about the same things as competitors and in a similar style, which often produces stale or ineffective advertising.
Take, for instance, the story of another fixture in the gaming world. Mobile game Clash of Clans was experiencing user churn and decreased transactions in the lead up to its annual promotion Hammerjam. Thinking outside of the box, it found inspiration in true crime podcasts and developed a multi-episode whodunnit where fans were encouraged to piece together clues and solve the case.
When we spoke with Clash of Clans’ agency David New York, chief strategy officer Paula Vampre noted: ‘When you start working with [gaming], you can be very tempted to say “let's make sure we tap into talent internally that are complete, total gamers because they'll have the truest insights”. Well, yes and no, because we also need to make sure that we're not talking to ourselves too much and that we are bringing in what is fresh and makes sense in culture. To us, this was truly about finding something in culture, in the world beyond gaming, and bringing it in in a way that makes sense with our task and with our game.’
Gaming glamour / One of Opera GX’s main differentiators from other browsers is its personalisation options, so it makes sense that the brand enlisted two avant-garde figures known for their unique styles and self-expression. Cult figure Tommy Cash in particular is celebrated for his boundary-pushing career and highly conceptual work, so he feels like a natural fit for a campaign that bucks norms and expectations and invites a second look. Partnering with an unexpected influencer can generate organic conversation and help consumers see the brand in a different light.
Not to mention, the campaign provides strong visuals for an intangible software brand. Audiences can better understand the brand’s point of view and might be intrigued enough by its playful sense of irony to download the browser and engage further. Pairing up with leading voices in fashion and music also opens the brand up to discovery from more casual gamers, including exposure to Cash’s 1 million followers on Instagram.
