In a landscape oversaturated with digital advertising, experiential storytelling has become the industry’s countermeasure to fleeting engagement. The most effective brands understand that immersion must transcend the screen—entering the tangible world where players can physically step inside the universes they cherish. CI Games’ 2025 Gamescom installation exemplified this evolution with startling intensity, living up to its name, A Permanent Impression.
Gamescom, now synonymous with spectacle, has matured from a traditional showcase into a crucible of culture and commerce. It is the stage upon which the gaming industry performs its most ambitious experiments—where imagination materializes into architecture, and storytelling becomes tactile. Amid this sensory theatre, CI Games stood apart, positioning itself not merely as a developer, but as an orchestrator of modern myth.
The company’s approach to marketing rejects the ephemerality of cinematic trailers and influencer-driven hype cycles. Instead, it harnesses experience as the highest form of communication—where narrative meets nerve, and emotion fuses with environment. The brand’s Gamescom installation, The Tattoo Sanctum, represented the culmination of this philosophy, merging physical artistry with symbolic devotion.
This was no ordinary booth; it was a ritual space. Designed in concert with the dark mysticism of Lords of the Fallen, the installation transformed a corner of the convention into a cathedral of faith and flesh. Visitors were invited to receive genuine tattoos, each design derived from the game’s visual lexicon. The ink marked not only their skin but their participation in a mythic exchange between player and world.
The concept originated from a single, provocative inquiry: what does it mean to wear belief upon one’s body? In a cultural moment where tattoos signify identity and rebellion, CI Games transformed the gesture into one of allegiance and embodiment. Each tattooed participant became an emissary of the game’s universe—a living artifact of its lore.
The creative tone drew directly from Lords of the Fallen’s gothic aesthetic. The game’s moral dualities—sin and salvation, decay and rebirth—offered a natural canvas for the activation’s visual and emotional direction. Every element, from the gothic arches framing the tattoo stations to the ethereal light projections mimicking divine illumination, was meticulously orchestrated to mirror the game’s atmosphere of sacred desolation.
The Sanctum’s physical environment was integral to its power. Concealed within a dimly lit enclave, it drew attendees through smoke, candlelight, and ambient choral soundscapes that evoked ritual. Each step toward the tattoo chair felt like a passage deeper into the world of Lords of the Fallen, merging marketing with ceremony.
Architecturally, the installation embodied the same narrative precision as the game itself. Projection mapping washed over stone-textured walls, while subtle bass frequencies pulsed like distant battle drums. Even the layout mirrored a pilgrimage: visitors entered as spectators and departed as devotees.
The choice of tattoo as a medium was deliberate. In a culture defined by digital disposability, the permanence of ink represented a rebellion against transience. Where gaming content updates by the hour, a tattoo endures—a declaration of loyalty that defies the industry’s endless cycle of novelty.
To achieve artistic credibility, CI Games collaborated with established tattooists celebrated across fine art and pop culture. Each interpreted the game’s imagery through a personal lens, translating concept art into wearable iconography. This partnership elevated the project from promotion to cultural dialogue, dissolving boundaries between entertainment, ritual, and art.
Pain itself became performance. Each participant’s endurance transformed the experience from consumption to initiation—a tangible reminder that meaning often demands sacrifice. Through this deliberate discomfort, CI Games redefined engagement as embodiment, creating advocates rather than audiences.
The response was immediate and visceral. Crowds gathered, waiting for hours to earn their mark, while social media feeds erupted with photographs of newly inked fans displaying their devotion. The activation’s impact was measured not by numbers alone, but by the intensity of emotion it inspired.
Technology deepened the connection further. Augmented reality overlays linked tattoos to hidden lore within the game, while QR-encoded artwork granted exclusive digital rewards. Rather than isolate, technology served as a bridge—binding player, art, and brand in one continuous narrative.
Influencers became storytellers rather than promoters. Their documentation of the tattoo ritual in real time lent authenticity to the campaign, amplifying its reach across millions of screens while preserving its sincerity. The spectacle’s visual power ensured its persistence long after the convention’s close.
At its core, the campaign succeeded because it spoke to psychology as much as aesthetics. Humans seek meaning through belonging, and CI Games harnessed this instinct with precision. The decision to offer permanence—something few brands dare to do—elicited reverence, curiosity, and admiration in equal measure.
The social ripple effect was profound. Each tattoo functioned as a living emblem, spreading organically across platforms. Fans transformed into ambassadors, their inked arms and shoulders serving as wordless endorsements. The campaign’s greatest strength lay in this unpaid amplification—the transformation of authenticity into currency.
Beneath its theatricality, the activation operated with rigorous care. CI Games prioritized safety and consent, maintaining medical-grade hygiene and professional oversight throughout. Every participant received aftercare instructions, underscoring the brand’s commitment to responsible immersion—a critical element when engagement becomes corporeal.
The results extended beyond data analytics. While engagement metrics soared, the campaign’s truest achievement was emotional permanence. Post-event surveys revealed elevated anticipation for Lords of the Fallen and a marked increase in long-term brand affinity. CI Games had etched itself into the cultural memory of Gamescom.
In comparison, rival publishers remained tethered to the traditional playbook of screens and spectacle. CI Games diverged, proving that resonance need not be loud to be lasting. Its work demonstrated that human experience, when designed with courage and care, holds greater influence than any algorithmic reach.
The Tattoo Sanctum may be remembered as a turning point in the evolution of gaming promotion—a moment when marketing transcended medium to become myth. As virtual realities expand, so too does the yearning for the physical, the personal, and the permanent. CI Games’ bold experiment illuminated that truth: the future of gaming lives not only in pixels, but in presence—and in the indelible marks we choose to carry.
