Blizzard Entertainment is fueling anticipation for the release of Diablo IV, the latest installment in its hit Gothic videogame series, by taking over a medieval Gothic cathedral in France and adorning its ceiling and walls with a 160-foot long, Renaissance-inspired mural.
Called “The Cathedral of Diablo,” the installation is part of a wider launch strategy devised by creative agency 72andSunny, and promotes two Beta weekends ahead of Diablo IV’s release on June 6, 2023.
The mural combines the epic scale and storytelling of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel frescoes with the drama of Caravaggio’s chiaroscuro technique. It follows the Diablo IV player’s journey into The Burning Hells to battle Lilith, the Queen of Hatred, giving viewers a tantalizing glimpse of some of the characters and stories they will encounter on the way.
To create this massive art environment, 72andSunny partnered with experiential production partner Wildlife and Adam Miller, a renowned artist whose Baroque-style paintings have been shown in galleries all around the world. Together they created 20 unique paintings to install in the cathedral’s dome and vaulted ceiling, as well as a vast mural covering its back wall.
72andSunny has also featured the paintings, exterior and interior of the deconsecrated cathedral in this atmospheric film. Directed by Henry Hobson through MJZ, and featuring a voiceover by Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), it allows audiences to experience the space and art, as well as feeling the excitement of the epic struggle between Light and Darkness at the heart of Diablo IV.
Every gamer that jumps into the Open Beta in March will have a chance to be selected and painted into their own scene as a Diablo hero battling Lilith’s evil. Each will then receive a video of Adam painting them into the art. To opt-in to the sweepstakes and read the full promotion rules, players can head over to here.
Tim Wolfe, group creative director at 72andSunny, said: “From the beginning we were inspired by all the concept art, craft and care going into the game and realized we needed to come up with something that celebrated Diablo IV’s dark Gothic roots. Something that leaned into their Caravaggio art style and the game narrative to create a campaign that was equally as ambitious as the game itself.”
The campaign has just launched globally ahead of the beta play period in March, and will run across linear broadcast in the U.S. on placements like March Madness along with CTV and premium paid digital.
