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Library/Campaign/I Love Bees (Halo 2 ARG)
Grade B23 sourcesHIS-01584

I Love Bees (Halo 2 ARG)

Campaign · 2004 · Niche

33Editable slideCertificate

42 Entertainment claimed three million players for its payphone ARG promoting Halo 2.

Official campaign-reel artwork pairs Master Chief with a Pacific Bell payphone.
Microsoft / 42 Entertainment
Official agency screenshot of the beekeeper page and its corrupted system message.
Microsoft / 42 Entertainment
Official campaign photograph from the agency case study.
Microsoft / 42 Entertainment

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagion35Breadth50Velocity32Longevity1133

Numbers

Seed to milestone
3 months
Jul 16 ’04 to Oct 18 ’04
Platforms
6
Started on Open web
Origin
Mixed
Gaming

Mechanics

  • Mystery & lorePrimary
  • Fandom mobilisation
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Identity badge

How it spread

Trace the origin

A hidden trailer address and mailed honey led players to a corrupted beekeeper site. Forums and IRC coordinated payphone calls that unlocked an audio drama, and fans put a bee placard on CNN. The agency later claimed three million players.

Documented milestone; not a measured attention peak.

Google searchesJun ’04AugSepOctNovDecMar ’05JulNovMilestoneOpen webGroup chatsPressAudioTVRetail
Open webGroup chatsPressAudioTVRetail

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. July 2004

    Microsoft / 42 Entertainment seed · Jul 16 ’04

    Players found the corrupted beekeeper site after Steve Peters received honey with letters spelling its name.[1][2]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. Celina / beekeepers on IRC platform jump · Jul 20 ’04

    Players directed newcomers to the #ilovebees IRC channel through a comment on Dana's blog.[3]

  3. Slashdot / simoniker and commenters platform jump · Jul 23 ’04

    Slashdot linked the trailer discovery and readers debated the site, its clues and Microsoft's involvement.[4]

  1. platform jump · Jul 24 ’04

  2. owner response · Jul 27 ’04

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

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Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
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  3. 3

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Origin
Mixed
Sector
Gaming
Region
US
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

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210M impressions

1 / 8

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New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.