Borderlands 4 x NYFW Activation
Ceeative Lead & Video Editor:
Rachel Jandak
The Brief:
Expand the Borderlands 4 audience through an unexpected, high-impact collaboration with luxury designer Who Decides War, bringing a game character to life on the runway at New York Fashion Week 2025.
The Process:
From the moment I reviewed the brief, it was clear that this would be an ambitious project— one with tight deadlines, numerous moving parts, and, not to mention, an entirely new creative arena for the Borderlands IP. I saw it as an opportunity to push beyond expected executions and build something truly distinctive at the intersecting worlds of fashion and games.
Early concepts proposed placing the iconic Ripper character from Borderlands 4 on the runway. Drawing on my familiarity with the game and its characters, I instead pitched shifting focus to Levaine— an elegant, charismatic character whose presence felt better aligned with the tone and spectacle of New York Fashion Week.
The idea was quickly embraced by the creative team and met with particular enthusiasm from the designers, who became even more energized once I shared detailed reference materials, including in-game screenshots and character art.
Over the following months, the project evolved through collaborative meetings, creative exploration, and multiple rounds of iteration—culminating in one of the most exciting and creatively fulfilling activations I’ve had the opportunity to help bring to life.
THE RUNWAY SHOW
Before the show, I worked closely with the designer and Complex to shape the run of show, ensuring key brand identifiers were integrated and that priority media moments and deliverables were captured on the runway.
I also led on model selection and creative decisions around how the character would be brought to life—from hair, nails, and makeup to final styling—making several game-time adjustments the night of to maintain character accuracy and visual impact.
Despite inevitable last-minute variables and production challenges, the final presentation—from the dress to the walk to the captured content—was highly considered and executed to an exceptional standard, resulting in strong creative assets used across subsequent deliverables.
Social Recap Video
With a clear vision in mind—and some rare extra bandwidth—I took the initiative to edit a short-form social video myself. Drawing inspiration from high-fashion films, runway recaps, and luxury campaign ads, I crafted a piece that highlighted the collaboration while visually bridging the gap between in-game Levaine and the model who brought her to life on the runway. The result was a cohesive, fashion-forward asset that reinforced the character’s identity across mediums and underscored the cultural crossover at the heart of the activation.