Luke “The Nuke” Littler has shocked his fans by announcing his retirement. Littler won the Darts World Championships at the age of just 17 and is the BBC’s reigning Young Sports Personality of the Year (at age 18).
The attention grabbing early retirement is fake, a campaign by London agency, Miai+, for Xbox.
The teaser film, produced by Common People Films, shows Luke dressed not in his familiar purple darts shirt, but a plain white t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms, alluding to the end of his two-year career and thanking his fans for their support before laying down his darts in order to focus on “something I really, really love.”
It was posted on Littler’s own channels to build intrigue from fans around the early access launch of EA Sports’ FC26 onto Xbox.
The teaser is followed by the hero film called Do What You Love, showing Luke’s life in a retirement home where he is surrounded by Xbox paraphernalia as he settles down to gaming. The film eventually reveals Luke with a group of fellow Xbox fans and retirees, some of whom are surprisingly familiar faces, making it clear that Luke has “retired” to play FC26 on Xbox, the thing he “really loves”.
The films will run across Xbox YouTube globally and UK social channels, and Luke Littler’s social channels.
Miai+’s brief was to build excitement around the launch of FC26 onto Xbox and further amplify the successful pairing of Luke Littler with Xbox, a partnership led by Miai+, which launched in December 2024 for the PDC World Darts Championships. Miai+ has worked on Xbox partnerships and sports sponsorships for 14 years.
The campaign taps into the Gen Z-led micro-retirement trend, which involves taking career breaks to pursue your passions. The creative idea also plays on a broader conversation around Littler’s retirement date, as well as capitalising on his well-known passion for gaming, which he recently showcased on his 18th birthday by streaming footage of himself playing FC on Xbox.
Sam Bateman, gaming marketing lead UKI at Xbox, commented, “Last year saw darts viewership increase 200% with Luke Littler at the forefront, becoming the most Googled athlete in the UK in 2024. Luke is a devoted fan of Xbox and EAFC, making him the perfect brand ambassador for Xbox. Gen Zers love to pursue their passions, gaming among them, and as we approach the launch of FC26, we’re encouraging them to soak up the launch of FC26 through Score More with Xbox and enjoy exclusive rewards.”
Oliver Wiltshire, partnerships director at Miai+ Brand Partnerships, stated, “Micro-retirement is a big trend among Gen Z. Along with the cultural conversation around Luke’s career and his love of gaming, we felt we could create the perfect storm with this campaign. Gen Z isn’t waiting until 65 to retire – they’re doing it in their 20s with short, intentional breaks from work to reset and pursue passion projects. This isn’t laziness; it’s life-first thinking and a radical redefinition of success, all captured in a film that reflects the wit and creative artistry of Luke himself.”
Credits
Client: Xbox
Gaming Marketing Lead UKI: Sam Bateman
Senior Global Product Manager: Mohan Gehlot
Brand Partnership & Creative Partner: Miai+
Creative Directors: Taya Mai, Claudine Harris, Oliver Wiltshire
Head of Strategy: Oliver Wiltshire
Account Management: Adam Mekki
Agency Producer: Taya Mai
Assistant Producer: Chanel Squire, Joanna Ortiz
Production Company: Common People Films
Director: Jack Hartley
Senior Producer: Tony Roberts
Producer: Sophie Finnigan
DoP: George Haydock
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