credits: Believe

Firing the 90mm on the Scorpion Tank

The multimedia campaign for Halo 3 ate lunch and dinner at the 87th Annual Art Directors Club Awards, taking home 5 Gold Awards in Broadcast Advertising, Broadcast Art Direction and Integrated Advertising. It is one of the most decorated art projects in history.

For the launch the third game in the Halo series Bungie and Microsoft assembled a truly breathtaking breadth of diorama, video and audio that takes viewers through the Battle for New Mombasa where Earth’s forces clashed with the invading Covenant alien fleet.

credits: Believe

Brutes killing dozens of marines on top of the trenches

credits: Believe

First shots of the battle for New Mombasa

The story of battle is told at ground level through a massive diorama: you really have to take the fly-through tour to understand the craftsmanship. Along the way you can stop and read “first-person accounts” from people who fought in the battle and watch video testimonials narrated by survivors as they visit the fictional “Museum of Humanity.”

I have been engrossed in the Halo 3: Believe site. It is utterly captivating and deserves every award it took home at the ADC Gala. Far more than an ad campaign, this is universe creation and storytelling on par with Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. If I could I would give it awards with my own hands for making me stare at my computer screen in awe.

Say word. Check it out.

Halo 3: Believe.