Northrop Grumman solves some of the world’s hardest engineering problems. Rather than run a straight-forward recruitment campaign, we turned it into a literal game called Deviation.ai — a text-based, AI-assisted RPG designed to challenge even the most advanced minds. I wrote the trailer, which was AI-generated, and we leaned into the uncanny limitations to create a dystopian tone that matched the game.
We launched with pizza party activations at top engineering schools like Virginia Tech, Berkeley, and Embry-Riddl. Inside each custom-made box was a math problem whose solution was the IP address to Deviation.
The problem was so hard, LLMs couldn’t crack it. Very few students could either—until a small group from Embry-Riddle finally got in.
Then we expanded with a Reddit takeover. Our :15 trailer and static ads drove players to the game—without revealing Northrop Grumman as the source.
Once inside, the game speaks for itself. Without deep engineering expertise, you don’t get far. But if you could solve it, you were exactly who Northrop Grumman was looking for.
Game play:
