ESPN's Starry Night Ad

On December 4, 2006, a 60-second CGI commercial for Halo 3 was aired on ESPN, followed by a release on Xbox.com and Xbox LIVE. Its airing marked the start of the first phase of sign ups on Halo3.com for the spring Beta. It does not contain any gameplay footage, and was created entirely by Digital Domain, using a mix of live action (for the two children), animation (using Bungie-supplied assets) and pure CGI.[17]

The Master Chief's MA5C Assault Rifle, along with an overturned Warthog in the background.
The ad comprises two scenes. The first shows two children lying in long grass looking at the night sky, wondering whether they will ever meet beings from "up there". The location and identity of the children are deliberately ambiguous; this being up to the interpretation of the viewer. This scene then cuts to Master Chief's point of view, waking from unconsciousness after being thrown from a vehicle. He is on Earth, in the middle of the Covenant invasion around the events of the E3 Announcement.
In the advertisement, the Master Chief's secondary weapon is stored magnetically on his back, or on a leg holster for smaller weapons. This is later revealed as an actual visual feature of the game.
Separated from the Marines, the Master Chief evades plasma mortar impacts (with the aid of the previously unseen 'Bubble Shield' device, resembling a transparent geodesic dome) and engages a group of Covenant Brutes and Wraith tanks. The ad closes with the same "HALO 3", "FINISH THE FIGHT - 2007", the Xbox 360 logo and additionally the "Jump In" slogan of the Xbox 360 marketing campaign.
Reaction to the advertisement was enthusiastic. It was the first cinematic-quality glimpse into the Halo Universe, designed to appeal to a mass audience. Fans of the series immediately started picking over the imagery for clues relating to the plot or gameplay of Halo 3.