Streaming / Gaming
TrojanShoulda Coulda
I wrote and consulted on a gamer-native spot for Trojan that lived on Twitch, backed by interactive display ads. Tailored audience insights, an infectiously relatable idea, and at least 50% of my nerd powers.
Role
Writer & Consultant
Client
Trojan
Discipline
Streaming / Gaming
Shoulda Coulda
A gamer-native spot built for Twitch, not adapted to it.
The hardest room in advertising: a gaming audience that clocks a fake instantly
Twitch and gaming culture can spot brand tourism from a mile away, and they punish it instantly. Show up clumsy and you don't get ignored, you get mercilessly roasted in the chat in real time. So when Trojan wanted in, the bar wasn't “make an ad.” It was “prove you actually belong here.”
Speak the actual language of gaming, not at it.
Trojan actually does belong here
Streaming culture is full of real connections, hookups, and late-night chemistry, so there was an honest cultural hook to write into. The trick was easy to say and hard to do: speak the actual language of gaming, match the vibe, and be in on the joke instead of talking down to it.
Born on the platform, not bolted onto it
We made a gamer-native spot, supported by interactive display ads, that gamified “protection” in a way that felt like it was coming from a gaming insider. Because it read as authentic, the community engaged with it instead of pushing back, exactly what we wanted from this notoriously exacting audience.
We dodged that “How do you do, fellow kids?” energy like champs.
Next Project
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