Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto V, released

September 2013, sold over 11 million copies

during its first 24 hours, bringing in $800 million.

Three days after release, the game had surpassed
one billion dollars in sales, making it the fastest
selling entertainment product in history. Six
weeks after its release, Rockstar had shipped
nearly 29 million copies of the game to retailers,
exceeding the lifetime figures of Grand Theft
Auto IV.
Which conventional
marketing strategies have
Rockstar used to
promote GTA V?
Which less conventional
marketing strategies have
Rockstar used to
promote GTA V?
Massively successful series
Internationally known brand
Huge fan base and established online communities
Specialist press eager to cover the game
Mainstream press interest due to the series success
Criticism from mainstream press over GTAs content
Controversy over previous releases (sex, violence,
racism, sexism...)
Three protagonists
Managing the controversy
Maintaining interest up to release
Ensuring that the hype matched the final product
Not giving too much information away before the release so
not to spoil it for gamers
Its estimated that $150 million of the games thought-to-be $266 million budget
(comparatively higher than the $100 million price tag of its predecessor, GTV IV)
went to promoting the title, making it the second most expensive entertainment
property of all time, next to only Disneys Pirates of the Caribbean: Worlds End,
which was budgeted at $300 million.

While the game itself took five years to finish, the marketing campaign was nearly
two years in the making.
October 25
th
, 2011

GTA V is announced on Twitter:
"#GTAV rockstargames.com"

The main website is replaced with
this logo
And a trailer is promised on Nov 2nd
Shares in Take Two Interactive increased seven percent after the
announcement
The first trailer was released on 2
nd
November 2011. It
was narrated by one of the protagonists, Michael De
Santa and depicted several shots of the game's open
world accompanied by the song "Ogdens' Nut Gone
Flake" by English rock band Small Faces playing
throughout. A press release published the same day
confirmed that the game is set in an open world
recreation of Southern Californiaincluding the city
of Los Santos based on Los Angeles.
As you watch the
trailer analysis, make
notes on the
significance of key
codes and signifiers...
During July and August, 2012, Rockstar released
screenshots of GTA V, showing new activities and modes
of transportation including a snowmobile.
August 3, 2012
Rockstar Games begin their viral
marketing campaign with tweets
made on the Epilson Program's
Twitter feed.
April 2013 Players who visit the
website for GTAs in-game religious
cult, The Epsilon Program, are
invited to join the Program and
upon registering learn theyve just
submitted for a chance appear as
an in-game cult member in GTA V.
October 24, 2012
Rockstar Games release the first official game art for Grand Theft
Auto V.
Why this image?
Identify key codes
and signifiers. How
does it link and add
to the trailer and
screenshots?
October 30, 2012
Rockstar Games release more game
art, confirming Spring 2013 as the
launch date.
Why this image?
Identify key codes and signifiers.
How does it link and add to the
press statement?
November 1, 2012
Game Informer magazine runs a cover-
story on GTA V. They also release two
high resolution game arts and
photographs of promotional material
given to retailers are leaked to the
internet. Five in-game locations were
revealed with one of items, a Los Santos
Photo Viewer.
Other information:

locations
vehicles
theme is heist based
each protagonist has own story arc