Defense Decoder
View the case- Brand
- AWS
- Year
- 2023
- Objective
- Awareness
- Industry
- Tech & Telecom
- Mechanic
- Simulation & Strategy
- Platform
- Installation
- Agency
- Wildlife
Objective
AWS Next Gen Stats needed a flagship activation for its booth at AWS re:Invent 2023 that would anchor the brand's presence on the show floor and spotlight its partnership with the NFL. The goal was to make AWS's AI/ML work in sports analytics tangible rather than presented — letting attendees feel the Blitz Probability metric in action instead of hearing about it in a pitch.
Solution
The player steps into a quarterback's cleats on a multi-screen setup, staring down a defense with the ball on the 50-yard line, four downs and 60 seconds on the clock. Before each snap, they read the defensive alignment and call which side the blitz will come from, while an AI readout fills in with the real-time Blitz Probability behind that guess. The tension is the clock: commit early on a hunch, or wait for the probability to sharpen and burn precious seconds. Each attempt ends fast, in a touchdown or a buzzer, keeping the booth line moving.
Results
The activation drew thousands of plays over its three days on the show floor.
- 1
The player steps up to a multi-screen installation at the event and takes the quarterback's position, facing a football field rendered from a first-person point of view.
- 2
A drive begins with the ball on the 50-yard line and a 60-second clock running; the goal is to reach the end zone for a touchdown before time runs out.
- 3
Before the snap, the player reads the defensive front and watches AI-driven Blitz Probability hints appear on screen, with more detail revealed the longer the player waits to act.
- 4
The player's core decision each down is calling where the blitz will come from, trading a fast guess on scant information against holding out for more AI analytics while the clock keeps draining.
- 5
Once the call is locked in, the play resolves on screen as a motion-captured defense charges into the play, revealing whether the read was correct.
- 6
Outcomes follow standard football scoring: a correct blitz call advances the ball, a wrong one costs yards, and enough yardage earns a new first down.
- 7
The player repeats this read-and-call loop over a series of downs, with four attempts available to keep driving the ball toward the end zone.
- 8
The session ends either when the player scores a touchdown or when the 60-second clock expires first, ending the attempt.
