K
ris Lindahl, owner of Kris Lindahl Real Estate, has seen a unique twist on his ubiquitous billboards in Minneapolis. The familiar image of Lindahl with outstretched arms has been replaced by a character known as the "Replacer" from California-based video game publisher Activision's marketing campaign for its new game, "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6."

    The collaboration was born when an Activision employee suggested Lindahl would be perfect for a local ad. The company's chief marketing officer, Tyler Bahl, said they wanted to have fun with the idea and partner with the local celebrity. There are currently six to ten billboards featuring the "Replacer" throughout the metro area, with more being added daily.

    The "Replacer" character is played by actor Peter Stormare, who recreated Lindahl's advertisement in a suit. The idea behind the character is that he takes over celebrities' real-world responsibilities so they can focus on playing the game. Activision has partnered with many famous personalities for this ad campaign.

    Lindahl's signature pose was trademarked in 2022, and the company had to obtain his permission to use it for the collaboration. Lindahl sees the partnership as an opportunity to bring more national recognition to his company and hopes it will be the start of more branding collaborations between local and national businesses.