Cast for belief: 8 learnings from the 007 First Light creator campaign by Substance Global

4. Put creators inside the campaign, not just around it

The centrepiece was in-game appearances. Shroud, Jacksepticeye and Khaby Lame each showed up in 007 First Light through mo-cap and vocal lines, then streamed and posted about it. These weren't sponsored posts about a game — the creators were literally in it, and the audience felt the difference.

5. Let instinct build the shortlist, then let data make the cut

Gut feel got the team to a shortlist. Kolsquare's audience location analysis confirmed which creators would actually hit the territories the client needed, turning a gut-feel selection into a defensible, evidence-based one. One creator was dropped despite genuine interest, because their audience was concentrated in Turkey, where the game wasn't releasing. That's the data doing its job.

6. Talent first, concepts second

Rather than impose a fixed idea, the team built content around what each creator does well, on the platform they do it. Nothing was repurposed or resized to fit a master asset. The output felt native everywhere it ran, and gave the client something they could genuinely stand behind.

7. The best earned content is built to be boosted

The tastemaker tier was designed to be fluid, reactive and boostable. The client ran that content directly in paid ads to drive pre-orders, and it delivered the campaign's single biggest EMV figure at £4.32m. Build earned content that's ready to be amplified and you get two campaigns for the price of one.

8. Be honest about what the IP did

Did the Bond legacy do some of the work? Yes, and that's worth understanding, not apologising for. When fans saw Shroud and Jacksepticeye inside the game, it travelled beyond creator channels into the press. The honest reflection for next time: go harder on the creative and cosplay tier, because for a world this visually rich, UGC spreads in ways paid distribution can't.

FAQ

What was the 007 First Light creator campaign?

A three-tier creator campaign for IO Interactive's 007 First Light, run by Substance Global using Kolsquare data. It combined hero streamers, creative world-builders and tastemakers across every major platform to drive reach, participation and pre-orders.

What does "cast for belief, not reach" mean?

Choosing creators who genuinely connect with the IP over those with the biggest followings. A creator who already cares about the property makes content that feels right to fans, which the audience notices and rewards.

How were the creators selected?

Content fit first, stats second. The team filtered on what each creator actually makes, then used views, engagement and audience location data to confirm the shortlist. Audience authenticity and engagement quality were the deciding factors.

What's the real ROI of influencer marketing?

A Forrester Total Economic Impact study on Kolsquare found 127% ROI, a payback period under six months, and £743k in total benefits over three years.

Want the numbers behind campaigns like this?

Kolsquare gives brands and agencies access to the data that made this selection possible: audience location, authenticity scores, engagement quality and EMV measurement, all in one place. Book a demo to see it in action, or ask for the full Forrester TEI study.