Paco Rabanne, the leading fashion house and fragrance brand, have partnered with Starcom and Bidstack to create an out-of-this-world in-game brand collaboration in the futuristic game Curved Space for the luxury men’s fragrance, Phantom. 

The innovative campaign celebrates Phantom’s luxury craftsmanship and new-tech feel with a custom in-game character that represents the fragrance’s collectable robot bottle. Phantom is the world’s first connected fragrance, which comes in a game-changing bottle design made with chrome, metal and black. 

The distinctive in-game Phantom robot character launched in this campaign acts as a controllable companion in Maximum Games’ Curved Space and works alongside players as they travel through the deepest reaches of space. The character is free for all and can be downloaded from the game's start menu. Players can explore the game's vast maps, battling cosmic spiders with their futuristic partner on hand to help them take on enemies with a powerful spray attack.

Maximum Games developed the in-game companion to enhance the playing experience. The Phantom robot becomes an additional tool in every player’s toolbox, acting as an extension of them with the ability to port around the map, stun spiders and assist in battle. The character is playful and fun, breaking the fourth wall at certain points with emotion animations whilst showcasing the Phantom bottle beautifully by capturing light and reflections and moving in a dynamic, responsive, and realistic way.

Bidstack, the leading in-game advertising technology platform worked alongside Starcom to develop the strategy for the campaign and after exploring different ways to create an authentic branded experience in-game, they found a perfect fit in Curved Space. The title, which is available on PC, Xbox and PlayStation, offers a radically different environment for brands to interact with gamers. With cross-platform reach and an intense arcade style, the game is a perfect environment to create an authentic and accessible gaming activation for Paco Rabanne.

It is the first time a fragrance has featured in a game as a playable character and the campaign acts as a fine example of Paco Rabanne’s innovative approach to engaging their target audience in a way that respects and enhances the end-user experience. The playable character launched on November 1st and allows the brand to connect gamers with the world’s most connected fragrance in the run up to the holiday season. 

Of the campaign, Adam Fisher, Head of US Sales at Bidstack said “It was a pleasure to work again with Paco Rabanne and Publicis for this exciting collaboration with our partner Maximum Games in their newest title, Curved Space.

Working with our partners to create an interactive brand experience for Phantom is something we are really proud of. The execution pays homage to some of the classic games that came before us and drew inspiration from titles like R-Type and Gradius.

Our number one priority for any partnership is to ensure we respect the game and I feel that we accomplished that with this free DLC activation.”

​​“Phantom is the perfect partner for this campaign,” said Shane Bierwith, EVP of Global Marketing at Maximum Games added. “The fragrance and robot perfectly compliment the out-of-this-world action in Curved Space. New and existing fans can expect a lot of fresh twists and turns within the free DLC.”