Why Samsung and ‘The Tonight Show' made a Fortnite game

Samsung is bringing “The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon” to Fortnite as it looks to connect with Gen Z in its latest move into the metaverse. The playable Fortnite experience, called “Tonight at the Rock—Powered by Samsung,” is equal parts gameplay and Samsung advertisements. The game was created by Momentum and built by the studio Beyond, a digital product agency. “With this initiative, our goal is simple: To drive awareness for the Samsung brand with Gen Z while delivering an experience that remains true to our core of customization and personalization,” Janet Lee, senior VP of mobile experience at Samsung Electronics America, said in a statement. “This partnership is an incredibly fun and unique way for consumers to engage with our products in a safe and entertaining environment.” Players will find themselves in a fairly detailed 30 Rockefeller Plaza, with a small version of Times Square and even a subway stop nearby. Players can choose from several single and multiplayer minigames, including Giant Pong, a race to the top of the Rockefeller building, a taxi race and an “escape the room”-type game to get out of Studio 6B, where the "Tonight Show" is filmed. Throughout the games, Samsung’s mobile phones, watches and tablets are used as in-game power-ups. The game is the latest step in the partnership between Samsung and NBCUniversal. Samsung previously sponsored “The Tonight Show’s” Film Festival and an episode exploring the five New York boroughs. This also isn’t Samsung’s first trip into the metaverse. The electronics brand has previously hosted Fortnite battle cups that appear only for Android users and has built its own Roblox experience featuring Charli XCX. Plenty of other brands have created Roblox experiences to connect with younger gamers, but Fortnite seems to resonate with a slightly older demographic (one that would stay up until to watch late-night talk shows). More than 60% of Fortnite’s player base is between 18 and 24 years old, according to Business of Apps. It has more than 83 million monthly active users. The experience will go live on Tuesday and viewers who watch “The Tonight Show” on Wednesday will see an in-show version of one of the minigames. For NBCU, this continues its early push into gaming. The media giant struck a deal with Anzu, a video game ad tech startup, earlier this year, allowing it to connect brands with video game ad inventory. The deal made NBCU Anzu’s global sales partner and exclusive third-party seller in the U.S. and U.K. Anzu runs advertisements in video games through placements including billboards in the background or banners on a sideline, with titles spanning mobile, PC and console-based games. “We’re bringing an entirely new, interactive gaming experience to fans in the metaverse, and at the same time providing a great platform to showcase Samsung in a new creative way,” said Sari Feinberg, NBCUniversal’s senior VP of marketing, creative partnerships, advertising and partnerships. See all of Ad Age's 2023 Agency A-List winners here

Why Samsung and ‘The Tonight Show' made a Fortnite game

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