"The Threshold" Alternate-Reality Game

Apparently, one of the best ways to get the attention of Cisco sales executives is to turn them into spies and investigators in an alternate-reality game (ARG).

Objective

In 2009, Cisco turned to us and GPJ to help make their annual Global Sales Meeting a virtual event. A part of our role on this project was to create an engagement strategy that got the online audience deeply involved in the content, motivated teamwork, and added a strong entertainment layer to the experience.

Approach

Anchoring the execution of the engagement strategy was an ARG called The Threshold. This immersive espionage game had Cisco sales team members from across the globe collaborating several hours a day for four weeks, digging through the content of the meeting and elsewhere to solve the mystery and win bragging rights and some great prizes.

Results

During the weeks leading up to the event, The Threshold engaged an unimaginable 13,000 players out of a total audience of 19,000. Players lauded Cisco for bringing something so powerful and entertaining to the table when expectations were so low.

In reality, we were too successful: we had people playing for up to 40 hours without sleep. We were politely asked not to be so successful in the future.