INTRODUCTION
To reach Gen Z gamers and STEM-minded audiences, the US Navy partnered with Dexerto, the world’s leading gaming and esports publisher. The goal was to position naval intelligence as an exciting, skills-driven career path through gameplay, not advertising.
The brief
The Navy’s challenge was simple but cultural: young players ignore recruitment ads. They engage only with experiences that feel authentic, interactive, and worth their time. The brief called for a digital experience that lived naturally within the gaming world, demonstrating intelligence and teamwork in action.
Our Approach
Everything Ahead and Dexerto collaborated on Operation Intelligence, a browser-based interactive escape room built in Unity.
Players took the role of a Navy Intelligence Operative supporting a boarding mission to recover stolen data. Each puzzle reflected real STEM and cryptography challenges used in naval operations—codebreaking, logic, and systems analysis.
Dexerto amplified the experience through editorial features, creator partnerships, and targeted media across Twitch, YouTube, and social, driving players into the mission. The campaign combined cinematic storytelling, real Navy footage, and in-engine gameplay to immerse users from the first click.
services used
Creative Strategy
2D Gamified Design
3D and UX
Unity
Results
- Tens of thousands of unique players in the first six weeks.
- High completion rates through all puzzle levels, proving deep engagement.
- Positive sentiment across gaming communities, reframing perceptions of Navy careers as tech-driven and intellectually challenging.
Operation Intelligence demonstrated that when recruitment meets interactive storytelling, audiences don’t tune out—they lean in.
Related Work
Phone Number
+4402030484377
Address
49 Featherstone Street, EC1Y 8SY, London,UK
