On December 11, the night of gaming’s biggest stage, Blizzard Entertainment‘s Diablo IV decided subtlety was overrated. Instead, Los Angeles woke up to a procession of hearses gliding through the city, all roads leading to The Game Awards.
Developed with GUT Los Angeles, the activation transformed LA’s usual sun-soaked optimism into something far more ominous. Not one hearse, but an entire fleet moved slowly through the city, stopping at iconic landmarks and carrying cryptic messages urging onlookers to prepare for a reckoning. The final stop was fittingly theatrical: the Peacock Theatre, where the global gaming audience was already tuned in.
The contrast was the point. LA is a city of selfies, premieres, and relentless brightness. Dropping a ritualistic convoy of hearses into that environment created a chilling visual disruption that was impossible to ignore. Each element, from the scale of the caravan to its deliberate pacing, was designed to feel eerie, cinematic, and unmistakably foreboding, pulling Blizzard’s dark fantasy directly into the real world.
The activation built anticipation ahead of Blizzard’s moment on gaming’s biggest night. Last year, The Game Awards drew more than 154 million global livestreams, surpassing the Oscars, Grammys, and even the Super Bowl. In other words, if you want to announce something apocalyptic, this is the room to walk into slowly. Watch below:
“What better way to announce a reckoning than with a hearse? Even better, a whole fleet,” said Bruno Acanfora, chief creative officer at GUT LA. “Los Angeles is famous for its sunshine, so we wanted to see what happens when you cast a shadow that big across it. This activation brings Diablo’s world into ours in the most chilling, cinematic way possible.”
It was experiential marketing with zero interest in being polite. A city-sized omen, a slow burn reveal, and a reminder that when Diablo IV wants attention, it does not knock. It arrives in convoy.
The activation was one element of a broader campaign supporting the upcoming release of Diablo IV: Lord of Hatred, which launches on April 28. Alongside the live stunt, Blizzard also strategically debuted a cinematic trailer for the game during The Game Awards, tying the moment directly to gaming’s biggest global stage.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Diablo IV
- VP, Head of Brand & Creative Marketing: Kevin Bjelajac
- Senior Director, Head of Global Brand & Creative Marketing: Daniela Rodriguez
- Global Brand Creative Director: Geoffrey Verkeen
- Sr Manager, Global Brand Marketing: Dino Sulprizio
- Sr Manager, Global Brand Marketing: Kevin Carmona
- Executive Producer, Global Brand Creative: Jessica Ambrose
- Global Brand Producer: Paul Hernandez
- Global PR Director: Nick Jones-Liang
- AGENCY GUT LA
- Founder & Creative Chairman: Gastón Bigio
- Founder & Creative Chairman: Anselmo Ramos
- Global CEO: Andrea Díquez
- Global CSO: Fernando Ribeiro
- Global CGO: Carmen Rodríguez
- Global Head of Operations & Culture: Agustina Garavilla
- Global Chief Communications Officer: Christine Prins
- CCO: Bruno Acanfora
- CCO: Ariel Abramovici
- US CEO: Sandra Alfaro
- Managing Director: James Hidden
- Associate Creative Director (Art): Brunno Cortez
- Associate Creative Director (Copy): Caroline Tan
- Associate Creative Director (Art): Pier Madonia
- Associate Creative Director (Art): Aurélie Diaz
- Copywriter: Andrés Wassermann
- Art Director: Javier Biondo
- Head of Production, North America: Renata Neumann
- Sr. Producer: Jenny Valladares
- Sr. Producer: Thiago Zveiter
- Sr. Producer: Rafael Sanchez
- Group Brand Lead: Teddy Notari
- Sr Account Director: Katie Heinerikson
- Account Supervisor: Santiago Mottoa
- Senior Project Manager: Francis Clemenza
- Head of Communication Planning: Melissa Hochman
- Group Strategy Director: Kaitlin Barton
- Director of Communications, North America: Alie Coolidge
- Chief Intelligence Officer & Partner: Christian Pierre
- Data Intelligence Director: Carolina Rabinovich
- Business Affairs Director: Marinet Quinones
- Business Affairs Coordinator: Bianca Palacio
- Business Affairs Coordinator: Faith Hundley
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Thinkingbox
- Director: Arran Alps
- Director of Production, Integrated: Mike Kovacs
- Executive Producer: Jonathan London
- Line Producer: Dan Midgley
- Production Coordinator: Gabriella Kashi
Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360 News. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
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