Skullcandy Gaming

As part of my MKTG 3670 (Advertising & Promotion) course, I acted as a one-man advertising agency hired to create a fully integrated, $1.5 million national campaign for Skullcandy Gaming. Centered around the theme “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal,” my campaign aimed to boost brand awareness, increase retail presence, and grow gaming headset sales by 20%. I wrote a strategic creative brief, developed personas, tested campaign lines with real consumers, and executed a complete media plan spanning paid, owned, and earned channels. Deliverables included ADLOBs for each headset, a custom GTM timeline, influencer strategy, retail activations, a press release, and a giant headphone installation for live events. I tied for the highest score ever given on this final project, and every element was designed to position Skullcandy Gaming as both culturally relevant and performance-driven.

Skills Applied

Integrated campaign development, Strategic media planning (Paid, Owned, Earned), Persona creation & consumer insight research, Copywriting (mantras, taglines, press releases), Creative direction & concept testing, Email marketing automation design, Display and social ad creation, Presentation design & client pitching, Cross-channel content strategy, Brand positioning & storytelling

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Outlines the campaign’s central goal—to elevate Skullcandy Gaming’s market position through increased awareness, in-store presence, and a 20% sales boost—delivered through an immersive omnichannel experience.

Outlines the campaign’s central goal—to elevate Skullcandy Gaming’s market position through increased awareness, in-store presence, and a 20% sales boost—delivered through an immersive omnichannel experience.

This slide features a condensed version of my official campaign press release announcing “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal.” It introduces Skullcandy Gaming’s immersive headset line and sets the tone for the campaign’s edgy, experience-driven message. The

This slide features a condensed version of my official campaign press release announcing “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal.” It introduces Skullcandy Gaming’s immersive headset line and sets the tone for the campaign’s edgy, experience-driven message. The release includes quotes from founder Rick Alden and ambassador Tony Hawk to reinforce authenticity and excitement around Skullcandy’s return to gaming.

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Mely is a 21-year-old PR student and casual gamer from Dallas who plays to unwind and express herself. Social, stylish, and trend-savvy, she represents our primary audience—gamers who value performance and personality. Her lifestyle guided our campai

Mely is a 21-year-old PR student and casual gamer from Dallas who plays to unwind and express herself. Social, stylish, and trend-savvy, she represents our primary audience—gamers who value performance and personality. Her lifestyle guided our campaign’s messaging and creative tone.

Jason is a 24-year-old footwear developer from California who blends his passion for fashion, music, and gaming. Casual yet creative, he values stylish, comfortable headsets that deliver rich sound for immersive gaming. Jason represents the style-con

Jason is a 24-year-old footwear developer from California who blends his passion for fashion, music, and gaming. Casual yet creative, he values stylish, comfortable headsets that deliver rich sound for immersive gaming. Jason represents the style-conscious, trend-driven segment of our primary audience, influencing our product design and messaging.

George is a 27-year-old professional Twitch streamer and hardcore gamer from Atlanta. Competitive and charismatic, he invests in top-tier gear to maintain an edge and engage his audience. Balancing family life and career, George represents the seriou

George is a 27-year-old professional Twitch streamer and hardcore gamer from Atlanta. Competitive and charismatic, he invests in top-tier gear to maintain an edge and engage his audience. Balancing family life and career, George represents the serious gamer segment, guiding our high-performance product features and competitive messaging.

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This slide introduces the core theme line of the campaign: “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal.” It captures Skullcandy Gaming’s unique value—an immersive audio experience that blurs the line between game and reality—while reinforcing the brand’s cool, expre

This slide introduces the core theme line of the campaign: “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal.” It captures Skullcandy Gaming’s unique value—an immersive audio experience that blurs the line between game and reality—while reinforcing the brand’s cool, expressive identity.

This slide brings the theme line to life through a brand mantra—a cinematic voiceover-style message that immerses the audience in the emotional and tactical advantage Skullcandy Gaming headsets offer. It positions sound not just as audio, but as a co

This slide brings the theme line to life through a brand mantra—a cinematic voiceover-style message that immerses the audience in the emotional and tactical advantage Skullcandy Gaming headsets offer. It positions sound not just as audio, but as a competitive edge that makes gameplay feel real.

This slide introduces the visual identity of the campaign, built around a cyberpunk aesthetic with neon lighting, glowing tech, and saturated colors. The look reflects the edgy, immersive, and high-energy vibe of today’s gaming culture—perfectly alig

This slide introduces the visual identity of the campaign, built around a cyberpunk aesthetic with neon lighting, glowing tech, and saturated colors. The look reflects the edgy, immersive, and high-energy vibe of today’s gaming culture—perfectly aligning with Skullcandy’s brand personality and appeal to both casual and hardcore gamers.

This slide distills the core psychological impact of the campaign. The goal is for the audience to think “This headset is different,” feel excited and inspired to play, and ultimately do—purchase the headset. It all leads back to the singular truth:

This slide distills the core psychological impact of the campaign. The goal is for the audience to think “This headset is different,” feel excited and inspired to play, and ultimately do—purchase the headset. It all leads back to the singular truth: Be cool and win—with an immersive gaming headset from Skullcandy. This framework ensures the message is both emotionally compelling and action-oriented.

This slide presents two ADLOBs for the PLYR headset—one featuring Tony Hawk to boost cultural relevance, and the other spotlighting the product’s sleek design. Both ads highlight key features like 24-hour battery life, ESP, and the Clear Voice Smart

This slide presents two ADLOBs for the PLYR headset—one featuring Tony Hawk to boost cultural relevance, and the other spotlighting the product’s sleek design. Both ads highlight key features like 24-hour battery life, ESP, and the Clear Voice Smart Mic, with the campaign tagline “Sound So Real, It’s Unreal” and a strong clear call to action.

This slide outlines how the $1.5 million budget is allocated—80% to Paid, 15% to Owned, and 5% to Earned media. The breakdown reflects both asset creation and distribution costs, strategically aligned with campaign goals and buyer journey insights.

This slide outlines how the $1.5 million budget is allocated—80% to Paid, 15% to Owned, and 5% to Earned media. The breakdown reflects both asset creation and distribution costs, strategically aligned with campaign goals and buyer journey insights.

This slide outlines the 80% Paid Media allocation, including influencer collabs (10%), social ads (5%), SEM (10%), in-store promos (15%), Amazon ads (15%), a viral MLG event (5%), and a Chief Audio Officer campaign (20%) with Metro Boomin or FaZe Ban

This slide outlines the 80% Paid Media allocation, including influencer collabs (10%), social ads (5%), SEM (10%), in-store promos (15%), Amazon ads (15%), a viral MLG event (5%), and a Chief Audio Officer campaign (20%) with Metro Boomin or FaZe Banks—each driving awareness, engagement, and sales.

This slide showcases three campaign hero concepts: FaZe Banks and Metro Boomin as potential Chief Audio Officers—leveraging their influence in esports and music to drive credibility and hype—and a giant headphone installation at MLG Events, offering

This slide showcases three campaign hero concepts: FaZe Banks and Metro Boomin as potential Chief Audio Officers—leveraging their influence in esports and music to drive credibility and hype—and a giant headphone installation at MLG Events, offering an immersive, shareable experience designed to go viral and amplify brand exposure.

Owned media includes website optimization, automated email/SMS flows, and regular social media content. Earned media focuses on a referral program, encouraging user reviews, media outreach to IGN, and hosting live events to boost engagement.

Owned media includes website optimization, automated email/SMS flows, and regular social media content. Earned media focuses on a referral program, encouraging user reviews, media outreach to IGN, and hosting live events to boost engagement.

This slide outlines the campaign’s major phases—from the tease in April 2025, the kickoff at PAX East in May, the Chief Audio Officer announcement in June, influencer collaborations in November, through to the campaign wrap-up and evaluation in Febru

This slide outlines the campaign’s major phases—from the tease in April 2025, the kickoff at PAX East in May, the Chief Audio Officer announcement in June, influencer collaborations in November, through to the campaign wrap-up and evaluation in February 2026.

This slide highlights our ongoing optimization process with weekly metric tracking, bi-weekly performance reviews, and monthly strategy check-ins to ensure continuous improvements and maximize ROI.

This slide highlights our ongoing optimization process with weekly metric tracking, bi-weekly performance reviews, and monthly strategy check-ins to ensure continuous improvements and maximize ROI.

“Sound So Real, It’s Unreal” is a 10-month campaign built to boost Skullcandy Gaming’s visibility and sales by 20%. With a focused media mix and standout tactics like influencer partnerships, immersive activations, and optimized digital channels, the

“Sound So Real, It’s Unreal” is a 10-month campaign built to boost Skullcandy Gaming’s visibility and sales by 20%. With a focused media mix and standout tactics like influencer partnerships, immersive activations, and optimized digital channels, the campaign launches at PAX East in May 2025 and builds momentum through the CAO reveal in June and a major push in November.

At the heart of this campaign is more than just sound—it’s the power to immerse, excite, and elevate the gaming experience. Skullcandy Gaming is ready to make it real… so real, it’s unreal. Let’s dominate online, own retail, and take Skullcandy Gamin

At the heart of this campaign is more than just sound—it’s the power to immerse, excite, and elevate the gaming experience. Skullcandy Gaming is ready to make it real… so real, it’s unreal. Let’s dominate online, own retail, and take Skullcandy Gaming to the top. Thank you.

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