Sony: Project Shiphunt

Objective

Sony and Intel partnered to create an innovative digital marketing experience that connected a real-world shipwreck research expedition in Lake Huron with an interactive online game. The campaign aimed to inspire young audiences to explore marine archaeology and education while showcasing Sony and Intel technology capabilities through an immersive storytelling experience.

Solution

Project Shiphunt was one of the first fully story-driven games built within Google Earth, allowing players to participate in the excitement of discovering shipwrecks from their homes. Players used virtual sonar and geographic clues to search the ocean depths in Google Earth, mirroring a real expedition where five Michigan high school students sought actual shipwrecks in Lake Huron's Shipwreck Alley using Sony VAIO laptops. The experience was built on Adobe Flash and Google Earth APIs (pushing the platform's capabilities beyond its original design) with Amazon Web Services and a custom LAMP Stack backend. The game was distributed as a Facebook application and across web and desktop platforms, featuring a parallel contest called 'Oceans of Treasure' with 20 prizes including a $1 million grand prize.

Results

The expedition successfully discovered two shipwrecks: the M.F. Merrick (sank in 1889) and the steel freighter Etruria (sank in 1905) off Presque Isle in Lake Huron. The discoveries were documented in 3D. Specific metrics on game participants and engagement were not publicly available in accessible sources.