Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

illion in sales (“Millions”). The campaign presented a message that symbolized the events of Halo: Reach
as those reminiscent of the Alamo or Pearl Harbor or the attacks on 9/11, calling for players to “Remember
Reach” (Halo: Reach). Fans of the franchise and video game consumers identified and interpreted the
symbols presented in the advertisement. Halo: Reach received $200 million in sales on its first day of
release, validating the audience’s acceptance of the symbols conveyed in the promotional campaign
(Slodkowski).
Convergence occurs with the acceptance of fantasy themes, which are interpretations of real events
that “consist of characters, real or fictitious, playing out a dramatic situation in a setting removed in time
and space from the here-and-now transactions of the group” (Bormann, “Fantasy and Rhetorical” 397).
These themes often present themselves as a mirror to the group’s situation, presenting their struggle with “a
role collision or ambiguity, a leadership conflict, or a problem related to the task-dimension of the group”
(Bormann, “Fantasy and Rhetorical” 397). These fantasies, however, are not defined as “something
imaginary and grounded in reality” (Bormann, “Fantasy and Rhetorical” 397). These fantasies can be
identified as “creative and imaginative interpretations of events” (Bormann, “Fantasy and Rhetorical” 397).
The themes draw the audience of the rhetorical community to participate and commit to the presented
attitude, spurring motivation (Bormann, “Fantasy and Rhetorical”).
There are three “types” of fantasy themes that can be identified within a communicative message:
setting, character, and action. Not all types must be present in a given message. Setting types depict the
location and scene where the actions of characters take place (Foss 112). Character types describe the
“agents or actors” in the drama, ascribing characteristics and qualities to the individuals and assigning
motives behind their actions (Foss 112). Finally, action types are the “plotlines” of the drama that deal with
the performance of the characters engaged within the drama (Foss 112).
Within the promotional campaign by Bungie for Halo: Reach, several fantasy themes can be
identified. First, a setting theme of patriotism and honor in war can be identified as the campaign
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