The rules of brand-building have changed. In gaming and sports, it is no longer about buying attention. It is about earning loyalty. That shift is especially clear with Gen Z, a generation fluent in hype, allergic to inauthenticity, and fiercely loyal to the brands that get it right.
That is where OS Studios comes in.
Co-founded by Ian Packard and John Higgins, OS Studios helps brands earn their place in culture through strategy, community fluency, and a relentless focus on fan-first experiences.
“Brand engagement has changed because attention has changed,” says Packard, COO of OS Studios. “In gaming and sport, audiences are loyal, vocal, and unforgiving. If a brand shows up without adding value, it gets ignored or worse, rejected.”
OS Studios helps clients avoid that fate by anchoring every activation in what audiences genuinely care about. It may sound simple, but as Packard notes, it is rarely done well.
Before launching OS, Packard and Higgins co-founded a boutique creative agency in London focused on youth culture, which Packard describes as scrappy, stylish, and slightly chaotic. That early experience shaped the DNA of OS Studios — fast-moving, culturally attuned, and unafraid to challenge traditional thinking.
OS Studios was built to solve a clear problem: legacy agencies did not understand gaming or the communities that drive it. With Packard and Higgins’ creative instincts and cultural fluency, the agency quickly gained traction.
By combining brand strategy with a deep understanding of Gen Z behavior, OS Studios does not just engage audiences. It activates them.
An evolving landscape
Packard, Higgins, and their team are helping reinvent how game companies launch their products. Every idea they bring to life reflects the rapidly shifting culture of gaming and its intersection with sport. “For example, our plan with Call of Duty: NEXT was to have it feel more like a cultural moment than a press conference,” says Packard.
Both Packard and Higgins are deeply in tune with how Gen Z thinks and behaves. They know this generation is less influenced by traditional marketing tactics, highly attuned to authenticity, and fluent in digital culture. That insight shapes how OS Studios approaches every campaign.
“Our team worked with Riot Games to build real-world fan experiences around ‘Arcane’ that deepened in-game engagement,” explains Packard. “These aren’t campaigns built around media plans. They’re built around fan behavior.”
By understanding what Gen Z expects from gaming, OS Studios delivers experiences that resonate. For them, it is not just about promoting a title but about building worlds and growing communities.
“The landscape is no longer about showing up at scale,” says Packard. “It’s about showing up in the right way, in the right place, and knowing when to get out of the way. That’s where brand loyalty is earned.”
As the gaming landscape has evolved, so has OS Studios. Now a 45-person team in the U.S. alone, the company continues to scale rapidly while holding onto its original spirit. As co-founder and COO, Packard remains closely involved in shaping the work, ensuring the vision stays sharp, the execution stays thoughtful, and the teams stay empowered to move fast and deliver big.
Authentic connections
Gen Z places a high value on authenticity, not as a buzzword but as a reflection of genuine understanding.
“The word ‘authentic’ gets thrown around a lot, but authenticity isn’t a tone of voice,” says Packard. “It’s a signal that you understand the context you are entering. If that signal is off, audiences pick up on it instantly.”
From day one, OS Studios has focused on building with communities, not just for them. “Whether it’s working with creators, mapping how fans already engage, or embedding live feedback into the campaign itself, the goal is the same: give the audience something that feels made for them, not imposed from outside,” Packard explains.
That mindset shaped the global event strategy for Riot Games’ show “Arcane,” based on the company’s hit game, “League of Legends.” Working with Netflix and Riot Games, OS Studios designed live experiences that gave fans meaningful ways to connect with the show. However, Packard believes the key to its success was how personal it felt to the audience.
Both Packard and Higgins understand how deeply fans connect with the worlds they care about. Whether it is “Call of Duty,” “Minecraft,” a beloved sports team, or a legacy franchise, the most devoted audiences are not just watching. They are participating.
“Fans are not passively observing launches,” says Packard. “They’re building memories inside them.”
Ian Packard (R) and John Higgins (L). Photo grabbed from OS Studios
Award-winning activation and branding
Over the years, Packard and the team at OS Studios have picked up numerous awards that reflect their creative impact across gaming, entertainment, and brand experience. The studio has earned Muse Awards, EX Awards, Clios, Drum Awards, multiple Tempest wins, and even an Emmy for their work with Broadway On Demand.
“For a long time, we stayed heads down, investing everything into the work and the results it delivered for clients,” says Packard.
In 2024 and 2025, that changed. OS Studios began aiming higher, entering Cannes Lions, The One Show, and other top-tier competitions typically dominated by major traditional marketing companies.
“We made a deliberate decision to step onto the global stage,” Packard explains. “The work deserved to be there.”
This shift signals more than confidence. It reflects a belief that the agency’s output is not just about branding or marketing. It is about setting creative benchmarks for the industry.
For Packard and Higgins, the future of gaming and sport is not about chasing trends. It is about using creativity, strategy, and cultural fluency to build lasting moments that fans care about. By focusing on what matters to the audience and leading with originality, OS Studios is helping define a new standard for brand connection in a Gen Z-driven era.
