Cheeky Controller

XBOX

14 Aug

In 2024, gaming hardware sales were down across the globe. Xbox needed more than a new product…they needed a moment.

Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine was the pop culture event of the year, with every brand fighting to be part of it. The challenge: how could Xbox earn a place in the most anticipated release of 2024 and put hardware back in the spotlight?

While others used Deadpool’s face, Xbox went for the body part he talks about most, his ass, and turned it into a controller. The limited-edition Cheeky Controller launched as a global sweepstakes with custom packaging, handwritten notes, and Deadpool’s own tone of voice. Ryan Reynolds unboxed it, fans 3D-printed and sold it, and the internet lost its mind.

The result? 5B impressions, 750+ press articles, Xbox’s most engaged TikTok ever, Microsoft’s #1 Instagram post, and a 25% lift in Microsoft Store sales. A ridiculous idea that became a record-breaking product launch and picked up wins at every award show Including Cannes Lions, D&AD and One Show.