A Thousand Drones. One Legendary Crew.

Dodgers x One Piece Drone Show | Anime Expo Kickoff | Los Angeles, CA

To launch Anime Expo weekend in unforgettable fashion, the Dodgers teamed up with Toei Animation for a massive One Piece drone show over Dodger Stadium — an epic celebration of anime, fandom, and the Straw Hat Pirates.

Challenge

Toei Animation wanted to build excitement and deepen audience engagement for One Piece in the U.S. — especially among younger viewers and first-time fans. With Anime Expo bringing thousands of anime lovers to Los Angeles, the opportunity to launch a high-impact activation during this cultural moment was clear.

Solution

We partnered with Toei and the Dodgers to design a stadium-scale drone show timed to the opening night of Anime Expo. The experience fused real-time drone storytelling with live entertainment, baseball, and fandom—transforming the stadium into a cultural crossover event.

Key elements included:

• 1,000 synchronized drones forming iconic characters like Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Chopper, and more

• A custom narrative arc visible in the sky and on DodgerVision, including “Gear 5 Luffy,” “Gun Gun Gatling,” and “Nika in the Moon”

• A massive straw hat giveaway, placing thousands of branded hats into the hands (and selfies) of fans

• Full-stadium sync with Dodgervision stadium screens and audio for maximum immersion

• Strategic timing tied to Anime Expo and pregame hype

Results

• Thousands of in-stadium impressions from a packed Dodgers crowd

• Thousands of branded straw hats distributed — becoming a viral visual asset across social media

• Millions of online views and shares across Instagram, TikTok, and anime news platforms

• Emotional fan response and press coverage praising the authenticity and scale of the activation

• Expanded U.S. awareness of One Piece, particularly among Gen Z and casual anime fans

Why It Worked

More than a drone show, this activation was a brand moment designed to live across platforms and demonstrated the power of immersive storytelling at scale. By aligning with the fan energy of Anime Expo and combining stadium-scale media with giveaway strategy and narrative depth, we created a launchpad for Toei that was both unforgettable and measurable.

Want to create this kind of moment for your brand?
Let’s bring your story to the sky.