HUNT the TRUTH is an investigative audio series, digital hub, and social media campaign set in the fiction of the tent-pole Xbox title Halo 5: Guardians
Created by Ayzenberg, in partnership with 343 Industries and Microsoft, the show is hosted by fictional journalist Benjamin Giraud who is hired by the government to write a puff piece about Earth's mightiest hero, the Master Chief.
Through a series of interviews, Ben discovers cracks in the official story. As pressure to shut down his investigation mounts, Ben flips, turning his show into a weapon aimed directly at the heart of the shadowed government agency which hired him in the first place. With the world shrinking around him, Ben sets off on a journey to expose the truth behind the greatest cover-up in Halo history.
Season 1 ended at E3 2015 with many unanswered questions, and with fans clamoring for more, a second season was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July of 2015. The story picked up where we left off. But this time, a new protagonist, FERO, continued Ben's fight.
This five-and-a-half-hour journey told a story of intrigue, mystery, and betrayal leaving many fans with their jaws on the floor in the lead up to the launch of Halo 5: Guardians.
Realism is key to blurring the line between fiction and reality. Knowing that our story and performances had to be believable, we cast a group of A-List talent to bring our mystery to life.
Each week we released custom art and social content, pulled straight out of the fiction of that week's story. These posts, created by Ben, often contained Easter eggs that fans would dissect in an attempt to uncover the mystery.
We created a Benjamin Giraud Twitter account from which we sent exclusive content to key influencers and fans, going as far as inviting these influencers and their audiences to leave in-fiction voice mail messages. We received more than 500 custom voice messages from fans across the world which were then incorporated into that week’s episode.
Fans were hooked. They created wrap-up shows, recaps, and reaction videos. The internet exploded with chatter as thousands of fans shared their theories across forums and social channels.
"Captivating stuff Halo aficionados should not miss."
"Each episode amps up the mystery, and the podcast's soundtrack as well as Key's breathy, almost nervous delivery all appear to be leading up to something dreadful.">
"The brilliance behind 'Hunt the Truth' is not the great acting, or the use of multiple media streams (tumblr and soundcloud) but the fact that they've woven together one of the most complex tapestries we've seen in recent history."
"For my money, this is one of the best stories ever told."
Named to iTunes: Best of 2015, the HUNT the TRUTH campaign spanned 7 months, 2 seasons, 22 episodes, and 37 pieces of custom art. The campaign transcended traditional video game marketing to become a cultural phenomenon, reinvigorating the core Halo fan base while at the same time drawing in a new generation of fans. In the end, Halo stands more accessible and culturally relevant than ever before.