Destiny 2 is hosting a promotional campaign with energy drinks and pastries. Activision has to endure quite a bit of criticism from the press and fans. Nevertheless, the campaign seems to be working with the target audience.
Already in the first part, there was a promotional campaign for Destiny with Red Bull. Back then, competitor Dying Light mocked the campaign with “water” and the delightful bonuses that a glass of water brings.
This time, the reaction to the promotional campaign for Destiny is mixed. There is a lot of mockery and scorn from the uninvolved. This ranges from subtle to harsh. However, fans seem to be quite willing to indulge in extra cans.
This is what the gaming press says: Everything that is wrong with gaming
- Perhaps the clearest criticism comes from the MMO site “Massively Overpowered.” They headline: The campaign is everything that is wrong with the gaming industry.
- The mainstream site GameSpot points out in the subtitle “Doritos and Mountain Dew are so 2010” – a reference to a mini-scandal that arose at the time over how commercialized gaming had become.
- PC Gamer finds in the subtitle “the campaign could leave a bad taste” and notes that Rockstar Energy is a “sugar-laden syrup with high caffeine content” that can kill you if you aren’t careful and links to an article on caffeine overdose.
- Eurogamer.net refrains from making a judgment but subtly highlights the overly enthusiastic marketing language of the press release in the headline. Activision described the soda manufacturer and the pastry maker as “known lifestyle partners.” A tweet from Pop-Tarts mentions that two legends are now even better.
This is what gamers say on the pages
A selection of quotes from comments under the articles:
- “Diabetes and gaming – such a lovely pair!”
- “Please enter your Pop-Tarts serial number to continue playing.”
- Look at these young, healthy guys fueling their gaming with energy drinks and Pop-Tarts!
- “There comes a point at which the war is lost. That point has now been reached.”
- “Destiny 2 – sponsored by diabetes.”
- “To the person responsible at Activision: Nobody likes you!”
- “Nothing says epic fantasy space adventure like Pop-Tarts!”
However, there is also support among the fans
But it is not the case that the campaign is condemned by everyone.
Especially under the article titled “This is exactly what is wrong with the gaming industry,” counter-voices appear. This is just the logical consequence of a trend that has existed for a long time.
In social media about Destiny, German players are rather happy about the campaign because this time they are included and not excluded like in 2015. Players tell each other: “Keep your eyes open and bring me some if you see them.”
However, there is a detailed discussion. One could have included more varieties with codes or chosen a different energy drink brand. The overall sensibility of such a promotional campaign is only sporadically discussed.
Is the campaign working? Will Rockstar Energy sell more cans in Germany?
Among the Destiny players themselves, the mood seems rather divided on whether the campaign will be successful.
It doesn’t sound like people are going to start drinking energy drinks now that they have never done so before.
However, among people who regularly consume energy drinks, there seems to be a readiness to switch brands or increase consumption. This is evident from the comments on social media.
If you want, you can participate in the survey to help us create our own opinion poll. You have only one vote, so you can only select one answer.
Our author Ttime, an enthusiastic Red Bull drinker, has written an article on the details of the campaign:
Destiny 2: Energy Drink campaign is also running in Germany! – Codes for bonuses
