• by Fern Siegel , June 3, 2024

Call of Duty has unleashed the latest game in the action franchise, accompanied by an ad campaign.

Created by agency partner 72andSunny, “The Truth Lies” promotes the launch of Black Ops 6 Direct.

"The Truth Lies in Darkness" spot features famous politicians and military leaders in 1991: Saddam Hussein, Bill Clinton, Margaret Thatcher, George H. Bush and Colin Powell. By utilizing actual political figures, the work adds stark realism to the game.

COD is set in the 1990s, where secret wars are raging. (In real-life, numerous events, such as the Gulf War, wars in Bosnia and Rwanda, Iraqi uprisings, and various covert ops took place.)

Dubbed “The Truth Lies in Plain Sight,” the teasers placed provocative messages on institutions and symbols of political leadership to build the sinister world of the Black Ops game in 1991.

The first video showed Mount Rushmore is being blindfolded with the message “The Truth Lies.” Paid newspaper articles in the New York Post and USA Today showcased the stunt.

Last week in New York, a branded news van drove to several media headquarters, including NBC, ABC and Fox, with the messages: “This Truth is The First Casualty of War,” “The Truth Lies,” “In Lies We Trust” and “Protect Yourself Against Weapons of Mass Deception.”

The cross-platform campaign is running globally in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Australia and LATAM markets. The Mount Rushmore work first launched on TheTruthLies.com site, where fans can downloads assets.

Shepard Fairey, the designer behind Obama's HOPE poster and creative director-founder of Studio Number One, developed "The Truth Lies" poster for the campaign. They were placed in New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City and given to influencers. 

Fairey told Agency Daily: "The team infused our signature bold illustration style, taking inspiration from my experience with thought-provoking imagery that challenges authority. They successfully created this subversive poster campaign that captures the essence of the era and embodies 'The Truth Lies' tagline."