EA Sports Madden 21 “The Fabric of New School Football” / ICNCLST

The Brief

Develop a collaboration strategy to engage new audiences in the Madden game franchise, focusing on relevant designers and artists in local markets. For the first time ever in Madden, program a series of creatives to design a capsule collection of gear to be available to players in The Yard mode of the game. 

Program Execution

For the first season ever to offer collaboration gear in The Yard, ICNCLST developed a city specific strategy to both target new audiences and authenticate Madden as a cultural leader. 

First, Collaborating with Easy Otabor’s Infinite Archives, we helped deliver a Chicago Bears-inspired collection to launch right before the holiday season. Second, launching a few days before Christmas, we brought the focus to New York City. Angelo Baque of Awake NY designed a collection of gear inspired by his hometown in Queens. And finally, launching in the days leading up to Superbowl 2021, LA’s own Rhuigi Villasenor of Rhude designed a collection based on his brand’s top-sellers, to be available in-game for players in The Yard.

As Madden’s first season ever offering these “Vanity” collaborations in-game, ICNCLST successfully delivered on the goals to bring in new audiences and focus on Madden as a cultural leader.

Capabilities

Strategy, Artist Management, Contracting, Product Design