Insight
Amazon wanted to expose Alexa to this advertising-resistant audience by creating an immersive experience that required an active exploration of its wide range of skills.
Idea
As the top attraction at New York Comic Con, Amazon Echo Escape gamified the smart home by creating the world’s first escape experience powered by voice. Set in the world of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, players fully exploited Alexa’s capabilities to gain intel, crack codes, control smart-home devices, interact with live actors and ultimately set themselves free.
The experience culminated in a Twitch broadcast featuring top gaming personalities CaptainSparklez, Swiftor and OMGitsfirefoxx. Each tested their wits live while over 1 million online participants intervened – choosing either to help or hinder their progress.
Impact
During four days at New York Comic Con, hundreds of attendees used Alexa to escape, while 5,000+ queued for a chance to play, with reservations claimed within the first hour of opening.
The Twitch livestream event amassed over 1.5 million online participants during the 3-hour broadcast, with over 43,000 gameplay comments and engagements.
AKQA is a design and innovation company that employs over 6,500 professionals across 20 countries. Named Digital Agency Global Network of the Year in Campaign’s 2023 Global Agency of the Year Awards, AKQA was also awarded the Cannes Lions Grand Prix for Digital Craft in 2023, and the Grand Prix for Design in 2021. In 2023, AKQA was recognised as a winner in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards. AKQA also won Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas in 2021, and 2022 and led Gartner’s research into global marketing agencies in 2021.