Gaming for Inclusion: A Shoutcasters’ Bootcamp in partnership with Special Olympics and Microsoft
The Partnership
CMD Agency and Hijinx teamed up with Microsoft and Special Olympics to create a one-of-a-kind campaign that empowered individuals with intellectual disabilities to engage with their peers and promote a message of inclusion. Special Olympic athletes from Utah, Illinois, and Indiana traveled to Microsoft's Redmond campus for an immersive esports experience that prepared them for their debut on the Gaming for Inclusion broadcast on the Xbox Twitch channel.
As part of the campaign, we programmed and filmed a two-day bootcamp that covered topics such as developing an on-camera persona, crafting video game analysis, and delivering engaging live commentary. We also incorporated several surprise and delight elements, including celebrity guest interviews and exclusive game studio tours, to make the experience unforgettable for the athletes.
The WORK
To bring the Gaming for Inclusion campaign to life, we produced a series of engaging social-first videos that helped connect audiences with the athletes preparing to debut as shoutcasters on the Xbox Twitch channel.
Our hero video showcased the immersive shoutcaster bootcamp experience and how the partnership between Microsoft, Special Olympics, CMD Agency, and Hijinx helped level up the athletes' shoutcasting abilities while opening new doors in the gaming world.
To give each athlete the spotlight they deserved, we also created individual athlete spotlights that captured their unique backgrounds, personalities, and shoutcaster personas. These videos included authentic reactions and learnings from the bootcamp, and gave audiences a chance to connect with the athletes on a personal level.
My specific responsibilities throughout the partnership included:
Creative Development: Collaborated with creative team to develop visual approach, wrote and developed video treatments, established story beats and narrative arc, and served as client-facing contact on pre-pro calls
Scheduling & Budgeting: Coordinated two-day bootcamp programming, nimbly scheduled a two-unit production team to navigate between multiple locations, and was responsible for maintaining overall production budget
Crew Contracting & Briefing: Hired and onboarded production team, established scopes of work and contracts, briefed vendors and provided daily feedback/direction, and served as central point-of-contact for any logistical and/or creative decisions
Location Review and Direction: Reviewed and recommended locations or logistics based on client guidelines and communication needs
“On-Set” Production Direction: Oversaw all filming, conducted interviews, responded in real-time to client feedback and schedule adjustments
Paper Editing: Constructed detailed paper edits of all video elements
Post-production & Cut Direction: Provided feedback and stewarded each step of the edit process
Client Presentation: Served as the client-facing production representative on all calls, walked the client through deliverables as needed, responded to feedback, and pitched/explained any unique production approaches or elements being introduced
The results
The campaign has been seen as a huge success, exceeding all of its media benchmarks, winning awards, and increasing engagement beyond prior years’ highs. Some highlights include:
15M+ Impressions
8.5M+ Video views
500K+ Viewers tuned into the Gaming for Inclusion event on the Xbox Twitch channel
Winner of three PR News Non-Profit Awards