Star Wars' Iko Uwais becomes playable character in Google Play's new spot

Google Play has launched a campaign urging Indonesian gamers to protect themselves from online security threats. The ‘Protect Your Play’ campaign, created by DDB, features Indonesian action star Iko Uwais, known for his roles in The Raid and Star Wars. The campaign uses Uwais's cinematic appeal to highlight the risks of data leaks and scams in popular games like Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Free Fire and EA Sports FC. 

Starring as a player character in the worlds of Mobile Legends Bang Bang, Free Fire and EA Sports FC, Uwais is on a mission to buy diamonds when he is intercepted by villains who steal his diamonds, skin, and personal and financial information.

He is then advised to use Google Play for his future purchases as he is told the platform has the secured technology to keep hackers away.

The campaign was created with the insight that Indonesia's gaming market will reach $1.79 billion in 2023, and that nearly 46% of Southeast Asia's gamers will reside there. However, this growing popularity has attracted cybercriminals targeting insecure gaming sites.

Google hopes the campaign will raise awareness and encourage better online security among gamers by enabling them to use two-step verification and data encryption, which is promoted as a safeguard for gamers. 

“Marketing to a diverse yet deeply passionate audience like the gaming community is challenging,” said Amanda Chan, product marketing manager at Google Play. “DDB Group Singapore did an excellent job focussing on our audience’s shared love of game cinematics to create an educational campaign that works. It’s no mean feat, and the results speak for themselves.”

The campaign had 3.5 million views on Instagram in the first 24 hours after its launch and over 11 million views for the full-length film. 

Campaign's take: The campaign effectively merges entertainment with education, using a familiar face like Iko Uwais and an engaging narrative style to capture a diverse audience. The substantial early engagement metrics suggest that this approach is reaching and resonating with the target demographic. The success of this campaign comes from addressing complex issues like online security in a market as passionate and varied as the gaming community.

CREDITS

Advertiser: Google Play
Creative agency: DDB