Blizzard’s Marketing Campaign for Diablo Includes Gaming PC Cooled with Human Blood
In the 1990s, the gaming industry was still finding its identity, and we witnessed many experiments that seem incomprehensible from today’s perspective. Companies were pushing boundaries with their advertising campaigns, as seen in the recent gallery of the most bizarre ads. Acclaim, for example, offered to pay for the funerals of poor people in exchange for advertising space on their graves or even paid speeding tickets.
Blizzard’s PR department seems to be taking inspiration from this “golden era” with their current promotion for the new Diablo game. Previously, they offered free copies of the game to those who got the game’s logo tattooed on their bodies. Now, they have taken it a step further by giving away a high-performance gaming PC in a contest. This PC features an Intel Core i9-13900K processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, both cooled with a liquid mixture that includes real human blood.
The official materials do not mention the amount of blood used, but it is likely to be symbolic to avoid affecting the thermodynamic properties of the liquid. Nevertheless, it is a cool (or rather, terrifying) concept, depending on your perspective.
However, this campaign has more than just marketing intentions. Blizzard aims to motivate gamers to donate blood. Just a few days after the start of the campaign, they have already collected 47 percent of the approximately 630 liters (666 units in American “quarts”) they are aiming for. So, there is no doubt that they
How does Blizzard’s latest promotion for the new Diablo game draw inspiration from the experimental marketing campaigns of the 1990s gaming industry?
In the 1990s, the gaming industry embarked on experimental marketing campaigns that would seem incomprehensible today. Companies pushed boundaries with their advertising, such as Acclaim offering to pay for funerals and even speeding tickets. Blizzard’s PR department appears to be drawing inspiration from this “golden era” with their latest promotion for the new Diablo game.
Previously, Blizzard offered free copies of the game to people who tattooed the game’s logo on their bodies. Now, they have upped the ante by hosting a contest to give away a high-performance gaming PC. This PC boasts an Intel Core i9-13900K processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, both cooled with a liquid mixture that includes real human blood.
While the official materials do not mention the exact amount of blood used, it is likely to be symbolic to avoid affecting the thermodynamic properties of the liquid. The concept of using human blood for cooling purposes is undeniably intriguing, albeit potentially terrifying depending on one’s perspective.
However, Blizzard’s campaign serves a greater purpose beyond marketing. They aim to motivate gamers to donate blood. Just a few days into the campaign, they have already collected 47 percent of their target of approximately 630 liters (666 units in American “quarts”). It is clear that they are making it more engaging for participants while also supporting a worthy cause.
Wow, this is taking gaming to a whole new level! Can’t wait to see what this new Diablo game has in store.