Xbox has launched “Wake Up,” a bold new global brand campaign created by award-winning creative agency Droga5. Co-directed by acclaimed filmmakers David Fincher and Romain Chassaing, “Wake Up” takes on a familiar feeling that many people experience—but rarely address—head-on: numbness. By shining a light on what life can feel like through a visually jarring metaphor, Xbox aims to spark a dialogue around finding renewed purpose and energy.
Xbox is reminding people that they don’t have to let life make them feel numb. They can Wake Up. The campaign with Droga5’s observation that while people naturally aspire to live and experience more, modern life can easily slip into routine – especially with the constant lure of scrolling through content. Xbos is, of course, the hero of the campaign bringing the essential of playto the human experience, no matter where, how, or on what device they choose to play. Wake Up demonstrates that life doesn’t have to feel like a rat race. Xbox can awaken the human spark inside.
The campaign is led by a 1.43 minute film co-directed by high-profile filmmakers, David Fincher and Romain Chassaing, using a through a visually jarring metaphor to spark a dialogue around finding renewed purpose and energy. The film depicts the rat race of life through actual rat characters in Squeakattle, a fictitious city where those who embrace play discover what it really means to feel alive.
In a world where doomscrolling and passive entertainment often dominate, the Droga5 campaign sets out to highlight gaming as a more life-affirming form of engagement, one that can happen anytime, anywhere through cloud gaming and Xbox’s expanding ecosystem of devices.
Droga5 shaped every aspect of Wake Up, from brand strategy and creative platform to film script and final production, in collaboration with its directors and Xbox, aiming to reach and resonate with all players. Every detail, from character design and city architecture to textural elements like ads and subway signs, was crafted to make the rat world feel fully authentic. Actors with creature-performance experience brought these rats to life on set, while 1920 VFX transformed them into the vivid characters seen in the final film.
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To reach more players wherever they love to play, Xbox is also building a global relationship with Samsung to highlight the premium experience Samsung AI TVs offer Xbox players.
Droga5’s first project with Xbox went live at the end of 2024, in partnership with Netflix, for the new season of Squid Game. The collaboration featured a promotional campaign for the exclusive Game Over Xbox wireless controller, including a launch event at Squid Game: The Experience in New York City. Fans participated in a Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 tournament for a chance to win the limited-edition controller and compete for the grand prize: a custom six-foot-tall Young Hee gaming cabinet stand featuring Squid Game 2 Game Over Controller artwork.
Craig McNary, head of global platform & brand, Xbox, stated, “Droga5’s ability to understand today’s audiences and create culturally resonant work made them a natural fit. With ‘Wake Up,’ they’ve helped us bring our vision to life in a bold, unexpected way—one that reflects both the emotional power of play and where we’re headed next.”
Tres Colacion, executive creative director, Droga5 NY, added, “Growing up, gaming advertising felt like a glitch in the matrix, something honest in a sea of deception. Wake Up is about rekindling that tradition and reestablishing that dialogue. In David Fincher, we found a collaborator who has not only defined a generation of filmmakers but, more importantly, shares that intention with a rare depth of care. We hope that, like the great gaming work of the past, our message finds someone staring into the void and shakes them awake.”
