Fight off the Lord of Hatred in Diablo's Epic Trailer

72andSunny launches its latest campaign for and client Blizzard Entertainment.

The acclaimed action role-playing game, Diablo, and one of Blizzard’s fastest selling franchises in history selling over $666M when it originally launched, is back and poised to immerse fans into the new world of the Spiritborn. Introducing a villainous new class, powers and battles, the new game, Diablo IV Vessels of Hatred, comes out on October 8th. 

In a new cinematic focused campaign from Blizzard and agency 72andSunny, 'Ballad of the Blood,' viewers follow the journey of the game’s protagonist, Nyrelle as she struggles to fight off the influence of Mephisto, the Lord of Hatred. Through a single longform blockbuster film, the work elevates the narrative of the game by centring Nyrelle’s struggle.

To lean into the entertainment element of the work, the team tapped Hollywood director, Jon Watts renowned for his work on the last two Spidermans and recent movie, Wolves with Brad Pitt and George Clooney. Shot on site in Thailand, the campaign has the feel of the next big Hollywood blockbuster.

The campaign also features pop star Camila Cabello with a re-record of 'Behind Blue Eyes,' amplifying the juxtaposition of the struggle and intense action to bring more meaning to the conflict in the story.

“We've been partners and fans of Diablo for a long time, and we always love the chance to pull the depth and detail out of its traditional overhead view and give it the full, cinematic treatment so fans can really soak it in," said Tim Wolfe, group creative director of 72andSunny. “This film lets us create a personal and filmic interpretation of the story that contrasts Neyrelle's emotional battle and the destruction it brings to Sanctuary with the new class - the Spiritborn - and their awesome new powers that they use to try and save it.”

“Vessel of Hatred invites you to step into a world full of darkness and intrigue, and we are thrilled to have collaborated with such extraordinary talents to bring that world to life,” said Rod Fergusson, general manager of Diablo. “With Watts' exceptional direction and Cabello's evocative vocals, the release of this cinematic is a harbinger of the adventure to come in Diablo IV’s first expansion.”

With a priority on longform entertainment, the new Diablo campaign bucks the recent ad industry trend of telling the shortest stories possible. 'Ballad of the Blood' is a two-minute spot that will grab the attention of both diehard fans and lapsed gamers through its cinematic quality. In that time, viewers can see the set-up for the game as Nyrelle is being corrupted by Mephisto via the Soul Stone and the Spiritborn class work to fight off Hatred’s influence across the jungle in the form of various demons.

The campaign launched globally in 30 different markets across, EMEA, LATAM and APAC on premium streaming services, YouTube and Paid Social.