Leading with Gamification to Reward Fandom
Primary Role
Lead Designer
Timeframe
2022
Increased CTR
150%
Problem
Over a two-month period, I led the design of a custom advertising experience for The Batman (2022), partnering with Warner Bros UK and IMDb. The campaign rewarded superfans through four layers of gamification — hidden cyphers, a riddle game, interactive hover features, and a final easter egg. The result?
Increased engagement
Increased future campaign budget
Featured on Amazon Ads
As a quick disclaimer, I won’t disclose the exact performance data of these campaigns to comply with my NDA. All information in this case study is my own and does not necessarily reflect the views of the employer or it’s partners.
From Interview to Dream Project
When I interviewed for a UX role at IMDb, I took a creative leap. I downloaded ad templates from their spec page and built a speculative mock project using an title I knew well: The Batman (2022). The movie hadn’t released yet, but I used interviews, comic references, and my own DC fandom to develop the concept.
The team loved it — and months after I was hired, Warner Bros UK approached us with a request: create a special experience for the upcoming Batman film that rewarded fans through hidden surprises.
Designing for real
We built our experience inside a Premium Title Page Plus (PTP+), IMDb’s most customizable ad product. It sits at the top of IMDb title pages and acts like a mini-site, allowing flexibility in layout, assets, and custom interactive features.
Bat Signal Hover Effect
We designed a custom hover cursor inspired by the bat-signal. It worked like a flashlight, revealing hidden cyphers embedded in the background — an homage to the film’s noir aesthetic and viral marketing campaign.
Hidden Cyphers
Each section of the ad revealed a piece of an encrypted message. This approach rewarded users for exploring every area — increasing time spent on the page and driving deeper interaction.
Riddle Game
Once all cypher words were uncovered, fans could access a riddle game inspired by the Riddler’s puzzles from the film. We styled it after a command prompt and worked directly with the client to source the riddles and answers.
Final Easter Egg
Solving the riddles unlocked a final message — a small but satisfying plot-related clue designed to delight superfans.
Challenges Along the Way
As a new designer, I had to learn how to build a custom PTP+ from scratch. With no time for formal testing, we leaned on internal data, user research, and peer feedback to guide decisions. The hover effect, for instance, required several rounds of refinement to work smoothly on both desktop and mobile.
Mid-project, the client asked to replace static visuals with motion graphics. I didn’t have animation experience, so I teamed up with another designer on the team who did. We collaborated closely to bring the cast visuals to life without derailing the timeline.
A Pitch to Go Global
We believed the experience could scale beyond the UK, so we pitched it to the U.S. Warner Bros team, proposing they slightly increase their spend level. Though they passed due to differing strategies, the UK campaign performed so well that our client revised their budget for the next campaign — a big win for the team.
