New York, NY, November 18, 2020 – As part of the Ad Council’s ongoing “Game for Good” initiative, the organization announced a new partnership between its Emmy®-Award winning Love Has No Labels campaign and Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics, developers of the popular Marvel's Avengers game. The digital-first national marketing and PSA campaign leverages one of the core themes of Marvel’s Avengers, “united we are powerful,” directing fans to lovehasnolabels.com/PlayAvengers for resources and actions that help create more inclusive and accepting spaces within their communities.
The new fully integrated campaign will feature TV, digital video, out-of-home, and digital banners featuring characters from the Marvel’s Avengers game as well as real gamers, encouraging Americans to create a more accepting world by coming together to embrace their differences. In addition to Marvel’s Avengers characters Ms. Marvel, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor and Black Widow, the video features a diverse coalition of Twitch gamers championing a message of unity, including BrolyLegs, FaZe Ewok, Mica Burton, Parris Lilly and Stella Chuu. Rolling out through the Fall, all media, digital and social support will be donated, per the Ad Council model, empowering audiences to get to know one another on a deeper level.
Video on YouTube:
“During a time when we can’t physically be with one another, many have found joy and comfort in connecting with others around the world through gaming. We are thrilled to collaborate with Crystal Dynamics, and Square Enix to foster connection and inspire millions to come together and celebrate their differences through the inspiring story of the Marvel’s Avengers game.” said Ad Council President and CEO Lisa Sherman. “Everyone’s superpower is unique, but what unites us all is the power to create a more accepting and inclusive world.”
In an epic single player story and multiplayer game, Marvel’s Avengers introduces us to Kamala Khan – or Ms. Marvel – as the lead protagonist whose journey to reassemble the Avengers leads her to embrace her powers, becoming an Avenger herself. Kamala Khan was first realized in the comics by writer G. Willow Wilson, artists Adrian Alphona and Jamie McKelvie, and editors Sana Amanat and Stephen Wacker in 2013. She’s played by Sandra Saad in the Marvel’s Avengers game. Her role as the point-of-view character for the game’s core narrative puts the spotlight on Marvel’s first-ever Muslim female Super Hero to lead her own comic series.
Marvel’s Avengers offers players a truly rich experience and combines the single player-focused Reassemble story campaign with the ongoing Avengers Initiative’s expanding universe, which take the Avengers around the world and beyond. Each mission in the Reassemble campaign is designed to showcase one or more Super Hero’s unique abilities, while the Avengers Initiative missions can be played solo with your own custom AI team or with a group of up to four players* as any Super Hero in the player’s roster.
“Gamers are a diverse group of passionate people of all types, many of whom are used to being misjudged based on identity labels,” said Scot Amos, Head of Studio at Marvel’s Avengers developer Crystal Dynamics. “The goal for the campaign with Ad Council is to have us get to know one another on a deeper level and uncover our shared humanity. Our hope is that we can create real, lasting connections and a more accepting world through conversations about who we really are.”
Love Has No Labels’ brand partners include Bank of America, Google/YouTube, Johnson & Johnson, State Farm® and Walmart. Non-profit partners who continue to be instrumental in lending their expertise and support to the Love Has No Labels campaign include: AARP, American Immigration Council (AIC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Disability: IN, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) and Unidos US.
The Love Has No Labels campaign first launched nationally in 2015 with a video of skeletons dancing and embracing before coming out from behind an x-ray screen to reveal themselves as diverse couples, friends and families. The original “Love Has No Labels” video became the first PSA to win an Emmy for Outstanding Commercial and received more than 169 million views making it the second most viewed social activism video of all time. In 2016, it was followed by “We Are America” featuring WWE® Superstar John Cena celebrating the diversity of America on Independence Day. In 2017, Love Has No Labels put a twist on the kiss cam by turning it into a symbol for unbiased love with “Fans of Love.” The campaign launched its first short film in 2018 with “Rising,” written by Lena Waithe (The Chi, Master of None) and directed by David Nutter (Game of Thrones), asking the question, “why does it take a disaster to bring us together?” In June 2020 Love Has No Labels took a clear stance against racial injustice with “Fight For Freedom,” revealing the stark contrast of the simple freedoms that many take for granted and the systemic racism Black people face every day in America. Most recently, the campaign launched “Fight the Virus. Fight the Bias.” to combat hateful rhetoric that the API community is experiencing amid COVID-19. In total, the campaign’s five videos have exceeded 390 million online views.
Since the Love Has No Labels campaign’s initial video launched in March 2015 there have been over 13.5 million U.S. sessions on lovehasnolabels.com. Since the launch of the campaign, significantly more adults agree that they can create a more accepting and inclusive environment (61% in March 2015 to 75% in June 2020), according to a survey commissioned by the Ad Council and conducted by Ipsos, Public Affairs. To date, the campaign has received more than $120 million in donated media.
To learn more about the Love Has No Labels and Marvel’s Avengers partnership, visit lovehasnolabels.com/PlayAvengers, view the PSAs on YouTube, join the campaign’s social communities on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and visit the campaign shop.
*Internet connection required. Your platform’s online multiplayer requirements will apply.
About The Ad Council
The Ad Council is where creativity and causes converge. The non-profit organization brings together the most creative minds in advertising, media, technology and marketing to address many of the nation's most important causes. The Ad Council has created many of the most iconic campaigns in advertising history. Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk. Smokey Bear. Love Has No Labels.
The Ad Council's innovative social good campaigns raise awareness, inspire action and save lives. To learn more, visit AdCouncil.org, follow the Ad Council's communities on Facebook and Twitter, and view the creative on YouTube.
About Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media for over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media. For more information visit marvel.com. © 2020 MARVEL
About Crystal Dynamics
Crystal Dynamics® has developed and published over 30 award-winning titles during its 28-year adventure. Some of the most beloved franchises include Gex®, Legacy of Kain® and most recently, TOMB RAIDER® which has sold over 77 million copies worldwide. With over 30 video game titles released and hundreds of awards, the heroine Lara Croft® has been a cultural icon for over 20 years and has made an indelible mark on virtually every facet of entertainment. Most recently, Crystal Dynamics expanded its operations by opening Crystal Northwest™ in Bellevue, Washington. For more information on Crystal Dynamics, please visit http://www.crystald.com/, their Twitter account, Facebook page, or their LinkedIn page.
About Eidos-Montréal
Eidos-Montréal™ (a Square Enix® studio) is focused on creating immersive and captivating experiences. For the last decade, the development teams at Eidos-Montréal have orchestrated the successful reboot of the DEUS EX® series (Deus Ex: Human Revolution®, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided®), released the latest entry in the THIEF® franchise, and have also played a key role in the development of the award-winning TOMB RAIDER® series. For more information on the studio, please visit https://eidosmontreal.com/ and find us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal®. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 154 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 82 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 78 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at https://square-enix-games.com