As Director of Strategy across Activision Blizzard at 72andSunny, I led the positioning of the Lord of Hatred expansion within the broader Diablo IV brand and franchise. I defined audience motivations, linking them to a cultural core: dark themes, gothic aesthetics, and 90s/early 2000s nostalgia. As part of the launch campaign, I advocated for metal’s relevance—not just as a music genre, but as a lifestyle tied to gaming, anime, and the audience’s cultural identity. While earlier musical choices for the brand had missed the mark with fans, I pushed for a collaboration with a 90s/early 2000s metal band that could authentically embody the inherently metal-as-f*ck DNA of the Diablo franchise, Diablo IV title, and Lord of Hatred expansion. This tactic was just one expression of a broader launch campaign that course-corrected past missteps with a musical choice that was both truer to the brand and more in tune with its audience.
