The Slayeux Tapestry
Remaking the Bayeux Tapestry for Bethesda.
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The Background
In DOOM: The Dark Ages, the DOOM Slayer finds himself battling legions of Hell in a medieval-inspired world. The weapons are sharp, the battles brutal, and the Slayer has to prevail against overwhelming odds. DOOM: The Dark Ages references the aesthetics of the Middle Ages, and it was this epic-fantasy appeal that we wanted to capture. An initial Gamescom conversation with Steve Merrett from Bethesda provided inspiration for the team. We had a new and exciting path: remaking the Bayeux Tapestry.
The Activation
Our tapestry was to be eleven metres long, which was a significant undertaking.
Fortunately, we found the perfect partners in Simon de Thuillières, Hawthorne & Heaney and the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Simon, an illustrator from France, who specialises in medieval art, happened to be a huge DOOM fan. He has done an excellent job in translating the trailer for DOOM: The Dark Ages into a digital illustration in the Norman Romanesque style. Hawthorne & Heaney took on the task of turning Simon’s illustration into a very real and tangible tapestry. Unlike the original creators of the Bayeux Tapestry, we had the assistance of embroidery machines, which made the ambitious task slightly more manageable.
To show off The Slayeux Tapestry, we partnered up with Royal Armouries in Leeds for a week-long exhibition. It was displayed in the fittingly-named Hall of Steel, beginning with a grand opening ceremony featuring actor and bodybuilder The Dutch Giant in DOOM Slayer cosplay.
Alongside the tapestry, the Royal Armouries displayed a replica of the iconic Shield Saw and concept art for some of the weapons in DOOM: The Dark Ages. For a week, every visitor to the Royal Armouries had a chance to see the exhibition in person. This led to a 27% increase over the forecasted visitor numbers for the week. We also saw an overwhelmingly positive response from DOOM fans, with organic posts on Reddit, social media shares and coverage from both gaming and local press.
From the outset, I was always keen that the presentation should be sympathetic to the venue hosting, and the Royal Armouries was a perfect fit. It was this eye for detail that made the whole activation work, and I was delighted with the response from both media and public and the footfall generated.
The
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