LEGO Star Wars: Yoda Chronicles

In early 2013 LEGO aimed to reboot it’s Star Wars branch with the release of a brand new web series called “The Yoda Chronicles.” Accompanying this series was the launch of a new line of products centered around the Star Wars universe as it existed before the original trilogy. We were tasked with creating an online ad campaign that helped build hype for new property.

We decided to employ a strategy that focused on Yoda’s vast knowledge of the Force and the many secrets he knows. One of the most fascinating and fun parts about Star Wars is the mystery surrounding the Force and having some of those secrets get revealed throughout the movies. Focusing the creative on Yoda and the secrets he’d reveal throughout the series built a special sort of intrigue that we felt would best build excitement for the show.

Train, You Must

The Yoda Chronicles series focuses heavily on the newest Jedi recruits (Padawans) and their adventures as they try and stop the latest threats to the universe. To deliver on the “secrets” concept we decided to go big with the progressive ad units, treating the user as if they were one of the newest padawans and having them go through Yoda’s training through a series of mini games. Each game had 3 levels of accomplishment; if you beat the game but just barely, you’d unlock one “secret”, but if you thoroughly won the challenge you’d unlock up to three. After winning the game, the user could go to the “secrets” screen where they could view what they unlocked – sneak peaks of the various upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets. In this way, the games were able to create brand affinity for the new web series by increasing time spent interacting with the ad while also driving awareness of the upcoming Star Wars product line.

If you’re viewing on a desktop machine you can play the games and start training yourself! If not, you’ll have to settle for a short video. In either case, may the Force be with you.