Snow Day

Temperatures in town are expected to exceed 90 degrees this weekend, but last night the courtyard of Boulevard3 was covered in snow. The icy conditions weren’t the tangible results of a global temperature shift, but an apropos decor choice for the launch of Olympic gold medalist Shaun White’s video game, Shaun White Snowboarding.

Ubisoft’s senior brand manager for the game, Andrew Hui, turned to Jason Wanderer of Precision Event Group to create a wintry setting that would appeal to the company’s target demographic in the gaming and extreme sporting communities, as well as invited members of young Hollywood. Guests entered though the courtyard, where Wanderer had packed the fountain with manufactured snow topped with an ice sculpture of a snowboarder. Inside, Wanderer channeled an Aspen ski-lodge look, hanging an antler chandelier from the ceiling, lining the walls with stuffed animal heads, and placing an eight-foot-tall stuffed polar bear behind the DJ booth. Female servers inside the venue sported lingerie instead of less-revealing winter garb—part of an overall goal to grab the attention of what is a largely male constituency of gamers.

In another effort to tap the desired demographic, Ubisoft partnered with MTV, which will air exclusive content from the launch party. "The MTV audience is a perfect fit for the Shaun White Snowboarding video game brand," Hui said. "Partnering with MTV on the party and the exclusive content is a great way to associate our brand with theirs and gain exposure in one of our important target markets."

The network captured footage of Shaun White playing his eponymous video game against a competitor on two screens hanging along either side of the DJ station. Those who didn’t have access to the red carpet Hollywood event—in other words, the majority of mainstream consumers—will nevertheless have the opportunity to witness the brand promotion behind it through the televised footage from the party.