With the much-hyped release of Call of Duty: Black Ops III now just days away, Activision is putting its massive advertising budget to good use with a live-action trailer that damn near unites the world in anticipation. Marshawn Lynch, now the first professional athlete to ever appear in the Call of Duty franchise, is joined by confirmed greatestCara Delevingne, Michael B. Jordan, and some dude named "Kevin."
"Everything in [the trailer] is about authenticity," Tim Ellis, Activision’s chief marketing officer, tells Mashable. "It’s why we opted for more real-life explosions on-camera than ever, it’s why we chose real Call of Duty fans to star in the trailer and why Kevin, our hero character, even did his own stunts." This authenticity-informed approach gives us A+ shots like this:
And, in fitting slow motion, this:
Though Activision reportedly spends "between $50 million and $100 million annually" on Call of Duty marketing, the game is worth an estimated $1 billion a year for the iconic company. Call of Duty: Black Ops III is slated for release on Nov. 6.
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