People who play video games are exposed to anything and everything the wildest of imaginations can think of. And that’s just the home experience. At a gaming conference, forget about it. Gamers can be a ruthless target. You only get one shot to make an authentic impression.

So when 5 Gum went to Dreamhack, Canada’s biggest gaming conference, they knew they had to do something different. A brand known for pushing people out of their comfort zone had to create something so daring that conference-goers couldn’t pass by.

The Self Controller by 5 Gum is a surreal experience where gamers became the character and the controller in a real life video game. And that game was Gears 5, Xbox’s biggest launch of the year.

Each gamer was fitted with a custom-built VR headset and overhead 180 degree camera that turned their perspective into a dreamlike third-person view – mimicking the standard view from Gears 5.

Players were challenged to collect 5 packages of 5 Gum scattered around a dystopian convenience store. Select participants were able to take home special edition XBOX One Gears 5 consoles, a copy of the game, or a free subscription to Game pass, Xbox’s video game subscription service.

The experience was something people could not stop talking about. Even gaming influencers like Marissa Roberto, host of digital Sportscentre, couldn’t help but try it for themselves.

With the Self Controller, 5 Gum created one of the most talked-about experiences at Dreamhack. All 20,000 5 Gum samples were distributed, and 126% of target experiences were delivered.