Creeper Meet Combine

Minecraft, for those of you not a part of Gen Z or who have been spending the last decade under a block, is the best-selling videogame of all time. With its open world, “sandbox” gameplay procedurally generated 3D world it allows users a near infinite horizon and modes of play. This now includes farming thanks to the folks at John Deere.

While it is unclear if Steve can generate a blocky farmer’s tan, what is clear is that John Deere have not gone into the world of Minecraft half-heartedly. In an effort to showcase the world of John Deere, which is an increasingly technologically focussed brand, and agricultural to the next generation the company created FarmCraft. Within the game integration players undertake and complete unique farming missions, including planting and growing crops and then harvesting them while ready, all while using real-world John Deere tech replicated in the instantly recognizable Minecraft style.

“Between the global pandemic and the consumer trends in video games and immersive digital experiences we’re seeing more and more marketers considering ‘synthetic experiences’ as a way to bring their brands to life, particularly for Gen Z and Generation Alpha consumers,” said Jeff Roach, President & Chief Strategy Officer of SCS. “Creating the FarmCraft experience in Minecraft for young consumers to experience John Deere tractors in the context of digital farming as a synthetic experience brings young consumers alongside the brand, providing added-value education through play.”

SCS and John Deere developed FarmCraft with the purpose of educating young people on the importance of agriculture, but also on the career opportunities within it in an innovative and creative way that doesn’t feel like a heavy handed educational game. To accomplish this SCS tapped Blockworks, a UK based digital production studio with over 30 content creators specializing in creating custom experiences in and around Minecraft.

The results have been immediate and growing block by block with over two million downloads and over 7K positive reviews. So go on, make hay while the square sun shines!

CREDITS

John Deere

Brooke Schmidt – Global Brand Licensing Manager

Lauren Willis – Global Manager, Brand Licensing

Dean Hamke – Global Category Manager, Brand Licensing (Retired)

SCS

Jeff Roach – President & Chief Strategy Officer, SCS

John Zegowitz – Chief Creative Officer, SCS

Aaron Gaspar – Director, Brand Solutions, SCS

Blockworks

James Delaney – Managing Director, Blockworks