Xbox Game Studios’ Forza Horizon 5 takes place in Mexico and features an ever-evolving open world with limitless driving action in hundreds of the world’s greatest cars. It’s a game where absolute freedom truly leads to incredible experiences. That’s why we created a campaign that champions impulsiveness as a virtue. When you listen to your gut, you see more, do more and explore more.
The Forza Horizon 5 campaign tagline ¡GO! speaks to the excitement and urgency of doing, overthinking. It also sets the game squarely in Mexico with the Spanish inverted exclamation point. It was important to the team to use authentic language while also speaking to a global audience.
The film, The Getaway Driver, focuses on one man discovering his very own voice of impulse and embarking on a wild joy ride throughout vibrant Mexico. Our hero (played by Cristo Fernández from Ted Lasso) is a ride-share driver who is used to helping others “getaway,” while he himself remains stuck in a monotonous routine. Beholden to the whims of others, he rarely gets a chance to let loose. Until one day a passenger enters the car and lo and behold, it’s himself.
In the style of magical realism, what will unfold is a wild adventure spurred on by his own impulses, manifested in human form. As he tears across Mexico’s diverse terrain, he encounters a mix of highly sought-after vintage and new cars, from a classic 1963 Volkswagen bug to the all-new Ford Bronco. After our hero has fulfilled every whim, his alter-ego magically disappears – but his hunger for adventure lives on. Watch the Forza work below:
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Throughout concepting, production and post, 215 McCann was committed to representation and authenticity in all its forms. The agency hired Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera, including a Mexican-born director (Tania Verduzco from Los Pérez), Mexican actor Cristo Fernández, and a cameo from Colombian singer, Karol G. Lastly, in addition to diversity onset, 215 McCann and Xbox achieved a carbon-neutral production, ensuring our commercial was both inclusive and sustainable.
The Forza campaign will run globally across broadcast, social, and OOH beginning November 1.
CREDITS:
CLIENT: Microsoft/Xbox
- General Manager, Xbox Brands and Advertising: Taylor Smith
- Sr. Manager, Xbox Global Marketing Communications: Nicole Fawcette
- IMC: Ryan Merritt
- Director Product Marketing, Xbox: Eva Stefanac
- Art Director, Turn 10 Studios: Tim Dean
AGENCY: 215 McCann
- Chief Creative Officer: Scott Duchon
- Creative Director: Nichole Geddes
- Senior Copywriter: Ashley Suarez Wood
- Senior Art Director: Savannah Hicks
- Director of Integrated Production: Mandi Holdorf
- Senior Producer: Christine Hurty
- Director of Business Affairs: Mary Beth Barney
- Business Director: Peter Goldstein
- Account Director: Patrick Meeley
- Account Supervisor: Christopher Levy
- Account Executive: Dylan Williams
- Assistant Account Executive: Akshaya Sridharan
- Director of Strategy: Brian Wakabayashi, Sam Chotiner
- Strategy Director: Ryan Riley
- Senior Strategist: Christian Stewart
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Caviar
- Directors: Los Pèrez
- Managing Director: Michael Sagol
- Executive Producer/Partner: Kim Dellara
- Head of Production: Casey Wooden
- Producer: Javier Alejandro
- Cinematographer: Pau Caustejon
SERVICE: The Lift
- Line Producer: Magali Sagarra
- 1st AD: Bernardo Jasso
- Precision/Stung Driver Coord: René Cornú
- Casting: Paulina Maqueda
- Production Designer: Mónica Bidault
- Wardrobe Designer: Paoula Alfaro
EDIT: Rock Paper Scissors LA
- Editor: Jamie Foord
- Assistant Editor: Dominic Wendel
- Producer: Lauren Pullano
- EP: Shada Shariatzdeh
- HOP: Dre Krichevsky
- Managing Director: Eve Kornblum
VFX: The Mill
- Creative Director: James Allen
- VFX Supervisor: James Allen
- Executive Producer: Ari Davis
- Producer: Bret Aros
- Shoot Supervisor: James Allen
- 2D Lead Artist: James Allen
- 3D Lead Artist: Matt Bohnert
- 2D Artist: Jerome Knight, Katerina Arroyo, Jake Albers, Abigail Riegel, Mike Miller, Kai Chun Tsai, Kevin Diaz
- 3D Artist: Michael Lori, Elizabeth Hammer, Jae Jun Yi, Jason Huang, Robert Chapman, Yongho Kim, Ziming Liu, Nicholas
- Damico, Scott Fritts
- Finish Artist: Chris “Badger” Knight, John Shirley
- Matte Painting: Bill Lu, Bill Mather
- Motion Graphics: Greg Park, Greg Rubner
- Production Coordinator: Sarah Abiharb
COLOR:rgba
- Colorist: Alex Gregory, Paul Yacono
- Executive Producer, Color: Producer: Denise Brown
- Color Assist: Rory Leighton, Logan Highlen, Gemma Parr, Charles Brown, Billy Dawson, Cristina Giribets
MUSIC: Walker
- Executive Producers: Sara Matarazzo, Stephanie Pigott
- Senior Producer: Danielle Soury
- Composer: Juan Carlos Enriquez
- Licensed Track: Mucha Muchacha by Esquivel
SOUND DESIGN: Brian Emrich
RECORDING: Beacon Street Studios
- Audio Mix Engineer – Rommel Molina
- Additional Sound Design – Rommel Molina
- Producer : Lindsey Lerman
Rubik’s Cube used courtesy of Spin Master.