Puma / LaMelo Ball
Fortnite Experience
Enter this code to play: 4975 - 3461 - 8804
Background
The LaMelo Ball Fortnite Experience, created by Command Line in partnership with PUMA, united basketball and gaming in an engaging, multi-season Fortnite experience. Using Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), Command Line built a custom, branded adventure for PUMA and LaMelo Ball in Fortnite’s Creative Mode, immersing players in the “Not From Here” storyline set in an evolving, alien-invaded Tilted Towers. This phased experience maximized brand visibility for PUMA while celebrating LaMelo's unique persona and sneaker releases, including the MB.04 LaFrance, 1Love, and HEEM & Phoenix.
Goals
The LaMelo Ball Fortnite Experience was developed to:
Highlight LaMelo Ball and PUMA: Showcase LaMelo’s brand identity and PUMA’s MB.04 shoes within Fortnite.
Create Engaging Gameplay: Develop dynamic gameplay that encourages players to revisit and engage.
Build Visibility with Epic Games: Leverage Command Line’s connections with Epic Games to enhance in-game promotion.
The “Not From Here” Universe
Command Line conceptualized the “Not From Here” Universe as a blend of sci-fi, cyberpunk, and alien themes centered around the iconic Tilted Towers. This universe provided a multi-phase storyline designed to captivate players and unveil LaMelo’s story in an immersive way.
Season 1 - OG Tilted + Alien Invasion: Season 1 launched with a branded, nostalgic OG Tilted Towers, setting the stage for an alien invasion that slowly altered the environment.
Season 2 - Humans Fight Back: Players navigated a war-torn cityscape, with a human spaceship battling the alien mothership, showing humanity’s resilience.
Season 3 - Alien’s Retreat: In this high-adrenaline, neo-styled, sci-fi twist, players fight under the mothership’s tractor beam as it retreats with Tilted Towers into space.
Development and Launch Operations
Command Line structured the experience around a phased release that kept players engaged with fresh content:
Ongoing Support: Dedicated monthly hours for bug fixes, updates, and player feedback.
Marketing and Promotion: Command Line supported PUMA’s team with gameplay videos, trailers, and renders to drive engagement. The team partnered with Rare Drop, a gaming influencer agency, to enhance launch visibility through tournaments, influencer marketing, and events.
Results and Impact
The experience achieved high engagement and was selected as a Fortnite Pick by Epic Games in October. This increased visibility translated into impressive metrics:
Impressions: 86.6 million, showcasing extensive reach across Fortnite.
Clicks: 526,358, indicating strong audience interest.
Plays: 163,733, highlighting consistent engagement.
Unique Players: 144,384, demonstrating broad appeal and brand alignment.
Peak Players in a Day: 26,000.
Win Screens: 231,000, underscoring player success and social sharing.
MB.04 La France Shoe Downloads: 12,000, highlighting interest in branded items.
“From the outset, the Command Line team demonstrated exceptional creativity, technical expertise, and an in-depth understanding of both Fortnite’s mechanics and our brand’s objectives. The team was always willing to adapt when strategy pivoted, putting in the extra time and effort to produce a product we were both proud of. The result was visually incredible. Overall, the entire Command Line team was great to work with. Their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to excellence made them a valuable partner for PUMA throughout this activation.”
Kaylee Kupiec
Senior Emerging Marketing Tech Project Manager
PUMA
Conclusion
The LaMelo Ball Fortnite Experience successfully blended an immersive “Not From Here” narrative with custom gameplay and in-game systems that aligned seamlessly with LaMelo and PUMA’s brands. With a phased release, ongoing development support, and launch marketing strategy, Command Line set a benchmark for how UEFN can create impactful, branded experiences, ensuring the experience will enhance PUMA’s presence in the gaming world.
