Client Name
Project Name
Intro Phrase
Elements
Design
CG
Animation
Editorial
Development
THE CHALLENGE
Metal Is
Alive and Well
With four years having passed since their last album, and the success of Riot Games Music’s K-pop sensations K/DA, you’d forgive metal fans for thinking that maybe the OG virtual face-melters Pentakill had been forgotten about.
Riot wanted to make it clear that the legends of metal were returning to assault our ear drums and eyeballs once again, delivering a new album and interactive live virtual concert unlike the fanbase has ever seen. In need of a marketing campaign that could match that same level of craft and innovation, Riot approached WAR looking for a partner to bring an epic saga of metal to life and invigorate a fanbase of metalheads and Pentakill diehards.
So we threw on some Sabbath, dusted off our battle vests, and got to work.
THE MOST METAL OF MOOD BOARDS
CAN’T ALL LOGOS BE METAL LOGOS?
Logo Design
Mark of The Beast
To signify the evolution of the band’s sound, Pentakill’s identity needed a facelift. We knew we couldn’t work with just anyone on this, so we reached out to our most metal-loving logo and type designers and let them loose. The result? An exploration that spanned every corner of the metal universe.
In the end, the narrative behind the new album called for more of an evolution than a reinvention, so using the current word mark as a starting point, we brought a sharper, more aggressive silhouette to the letterforms.
To pair with the word mark, we evolved the band’s icon to reflect the latest character design of Pentakill’s axe-wielding behemoth, Mordekaiser.
GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
Chaos Can’t Quite Reign
We knew that much of the campaign’s heavy lifting would be achieved through illustration, but a graphic backbone was needed to provide structure and consistency across such a wide array of elements.
We found our typographic muse in Berthold Wolpe, the German type designer who created metal-looking faces before metal even existed.
For the shape language, we found inspiration in the ornate detail of Baroque art and architecture to provide a visual feast at every turn. PK’s fans appreciate every small detail, so we couldn’t leave them wanting more.
Sachsenwald
This typeface felt
pretty metal
(BLACKLETTER IS JUST A MUST)
Albertus Nova
NOT QUITE AS BRUTAL, BUT STILL METAL
(REALIZED THAT NOT EVERYTHING CAN BE BLACKLETTER)
ILLUSTRATION STYLE
Shred ‘til Dead
The legend of Pentakill is intertwined with the origins of metal itself, so we set out to define an art style that felt like the record of an epic saga. The metal genre has a long tradition of painted album art, so inspiration was in no short supply. But we also looked outside the music world, to the drama of Baroque paintings and to the sinister tableaus of Gustave Dore.
ALBUM COVER
The Holy Grail
When it comes to album artwork, no other genre does it quite like metal. Elaborate, fantastic, and often grotesque paintings are par for the course. These are the images that end up engrained in the minds (and t-shirts) of fans for decades. So when it came to design the cover for Pentakill’s third album, we knew where the bar was set.
Looking to create a sculptural emblem that marked the band’s return, we embedded cues into each of the members, encouraging fans to scrutinize every detail. Which they did.
STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS
ANIMATION
Meet Your Makers
ANIMATION
Meet Your Makers
Say hello to the Gods of Metal: The Deep One, The Mad One and The Immortal One. These monstrous creations are the gatekeepers of the genre, lording over blast beats and double bass everywhere. Until you-know-who shows up.
This animated piece kicked off the campaign, expanding the legend of Pentakill and setting the stage for what was to come.
METALHEAD TESTIMONY
“The visuals are
giving off some really
heavy, vile, deep,
fucking brutal shit.”
– Tenebrix
ANIMATION
The Death Card
With a four year absence, a reintroduction to Pentakill was in order. And, what better way to set that off than with the dark, mystical framework of tarot cards.
Each band member was showcased in a series of illustrations that celebrated their unique personality and role in the band. Of course, Pentakill archnemesis Viego got 60 seconds — mainly to show off his abs and low rise white leather pants.
With a four year absence, a reintroduction to Pentakill was in order. And, what better way to set that off than with the dark, mystical framework of tarot cards.
Each band member was showcased in a series of illustrations that celebrated their unique personality and role in the band. Of course, Pentakill archnemesis Viego got 60 seconds — mainly to show off his abs and low rise white leather pants.
METALHEAD TESTIMONY
“My hype is
slowly boiling
my blood into
molten metal
… I need more”
– VIANNEY LEBRIAT
ARG
Your Doom Awaits You
As the album release and the interactive concert drew near, we dropped a 4-day interactive ARG event that invited fans to solve Viego’s Riddles by listening to cryptic sounds, building cypher wheels, and decoding hidden messages buried in design and animations. The ARG event utilized previously posted marketing assets to hide cryptic Glyphs and messages within and gave fans a reason to revisit and uncover more of Viego’s plan.
For a detailed breakdown of all that went into the ARG event, check out our Pentakill ARG case study.
ILLUSTRATION
Pentakill ‘Em All
With fans reeling from the realization that the ARG tricked them into helping Pentakill’s nemesis Viego, a slew of illustrated assets were released in the week leading up to the virtual concert, rallying the fanbase to fight back and help PK reclaim the metal throne.
limited run 7” series? no. but imagine…
INTERACTIVE CONCERT
Roar of The Crowd
In the end, Viego’s boyish good looks were no match for the thunderous power of Pentakill and their throngs of loyal fans. On the day of the album release, Riot staged an epic, interactive virtual concert that put PK back on top of the metal world and continued to blaze trails in the virtual music space.
We created the UI design for the event, designing icons for the Gods of Metal and the interface through which fans interacted.
THE LAST WORD
Metalheads Rejoice
Following the finale of Pentakill’s glorious return to cast the stage ablaze, we had fans foaming at the mouth for more. The live event raked in millions of viewers in all its brutal, head-thrashing glory, certifying the band’s place atop the metal throne. Our job was complete — metalheads galore welcomed Pentakill back to the scene with open hearts (and souls), ensuring that this comeback tour would be remembered for the rest of eternity.
“To put it simply,
this concert
was truly
something else.”
– Upcomer
10.2 million live show interactions
2.5 million pre-show campaign YouTube views
7 hell-raising band members