Adaily Inspiration Week #14: Best TV show ad campaigns
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For this week we chose campaigns for “best TV show campaigns. Below you can find our 5 picks, but if you want to see more just click direct link to query » HERE «
1. “Wednesday Hates Marketing” - Wednesday
Netflix did a marketing campaign for the series "Wednesday" using an anti-marketing approach and a rebellious character as the face of the campaign.
Netflix Los Angeles • 2022 • TV show • Cross-country • Global
Challenge
The challenge of the campaign was to reimagine the character of Wednesday Addams in a way that would resonate with the Gen Z audience and position her as a global pop culture icon. The campaign needed to capture the attention of this skeptical audience, who are often skeptical of traditional marketing tactics, and create a sense of anticipation and excitement for the new drama series. The goal was to build a strong social media presence for Wednesday and generate widespread conversations and earned media coverage. The campaign also needed to drive viewership for the series and establish Wednesday as a beloved character in her own right.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was primarily Gen Z, who are fans of the character Wednesday Addams and resonate with her outsider and rebellious nature. However, the campaign also aimed to appeal to a wider audience by reimagining Wednesday as a global pop culture figure and iconoclastic hero.
Idea
The main idea of this campaign was to reimagine the character of Wednesday from the Addams Family as a global pop culture icon and build anticipation for the release of the new drama series. The campaign aimed to appeal to Gen Z by embodying Wednesday's anti-marketing attitude and skepticism towards inauthenticity, creating a sense of authenticity and relatability for the target audience. The campaign utilized social media platforms, paid media, and out-of-home advertising to drive social conversations, gain followers, and generate buzz leading up to the premiere. The result was a highly successful campaign that garnered billions of impressions and made the show one of Netflix's biggest successes.
Results
The campaign for Wednesday resulted in impressive outcomes. It became the biggest pre-premiere campaign in Netflix history, generating 3 billion owned impressions in the U.S. Furthermore, Wednesday gained over 3 million followers on her social channels, with an additional 50 million followers across the main cast's self-managed channels. The campaign's impact was not limited to social media. Wednesday's anti-marketing attitude and iconoclastic voice resonated with audiences worldwide. As a result, the series became Netflix's biggest Season 1 of TV ever, with over 1 billion hours viewed. One notable aspect of the campaign was the "Dark Prom" dance challenge on TikTok, which garnered a whopping 25 billion views. This further solidified Wednesday's global prominence and the series' popularity among Gen Z viewers. Overall, the campaign successfully introduced Wednesday as a global pop culture figure, built anticipation for the series, and established a strong connection with the target audience.
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2. “Stranger Heathens” - Stranger Things
Netflix did a marketing campaign using a music festival partnership and live performance to merge the universes of Stranger Things and Twenty One Pilots.
Cohn&Jansen • 2022 • TV show • Romania • Europe
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to reignite the excitement and engagement of fans after a 3.5-year gap since the previous season had aired. The goal was to remind fans how much Stranger Things means to them and create a buzz around the upcoming season 4. The strategy was to merge the Stranger Things universe with the music of Twenty One Pilots, leveraging their connected themes and overlapping audience. The challenge was to execute this merger effectively and create a pop culture moment that would capture the attention and interest of fans.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was fans of the TV show Stranger Things and the band Twenty One Pilots. This includes individuals who are interested in pop culture, music, and the themes explored in the Stranger Things universe.
Idea
The main idea of this campaign was to merge the universes of the popular TV show Stranger Things and the band Twenty One Pilots, creating a pop culture moment that would generate excitement and engagement among fans. By showcasing a live performance of the band's song "Heathens" alongside scenes from Stranger Things Season 4, the campaign aimed to emphasize the power of music in the show and create a thrilling atmosphere. The campaign's success was measured through high viewership, engagement, and media coverage, ultimately contributing to the success of Stranger Things Season 4.
Results
The results of the campaign were highly successful. The original posts of the official video surpassed all expectations in terms of viewership and engagement. On Netflix Romania's social channels, the posts had a reach of 250,000 organically on Facebook and Instagram. The Facebook post performed in the top 20% of all Facebook posts in Romania in terms of engagement. On Twenty One Pilots' YouTube channel, the video garnered 18 million views to date, achieving 4 million views within the first week and reaching the No. 6 spot on Top Trending YouTube globally. The campaign also had a significant impact on social media. The performance video was re-uploaded and mash-ups were created using the audio of the song, resulting in widespread sharing and engagement. On TikTok, there were 10.4 million video uploads with the performance, generating 41.1 million likes and 132 million views. On Facebook and Instagram, videos using the Stranger Things + Heathens performance sound received over 39 million views and 14 million likes. The campaign received coverage in both Romanian and international media outlets, reaching tens of millions of people. Romanian TV stations picked up the moment, and various news and cultural media outlets covered the campaign. International media outlets such as Rolling Stones, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, and Newsweek also covered the campaign. In terms of the show's success, Stranger Things Season 4 had the best trending results among Netflix's Romanian audience compared to previous seasons. It remained at the No. 1 spot for four weeks on the Netflix platform in Romania and stayed in the top 10 trending series for 13 weeks. Additionally, Season 4 attracted the most new viewers.
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3. “The Perfect Tenant” - The Perfect Tenant
Sahibinden.com did a native ad campaign on their website for the series "Perfect Tenant" using a humorous twist in their rental listings.
Publicis Groupe Istanbul • 2022 • TV show • Turkey • Europe
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to create communication that would raise awareness and pique the curiosity of potential viewers for the new FOX series "Perfect Tenant". Additionally, the campaign aimed to connect the series' theme with the real estate crisis in Turkey and create a remarkable project that would resonate with the target audience of 20+ ABC1. The goal was to drive traffic to the series' page on fox.com.tr and generate interest in the show.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was the general audience of 20+ ABC1, with a specific focus on individuals who were actively searching for rental ads on Sahibinden.com.
Idea
The main idea of the campaign was to create awareness and generate curiosity for the new series "Perfect Tenant" by connecting its theme with the real estate crisis in Turkey. The campaign aimed to draw attention by offering users the opportunity to find "THE" Perfect Tenant for the Yuva Apartment on the popular online real estate marketplace, sahibinden.com. The project utilized native ads that resembled typical rental listings, leading users to a humorous introduction of the series characters and the trailer. The ads were linked to the series' page on fox.com.tr. The campaign successfully generated millions of impressions, attracted unique visitors to the FOX homepage, and achieved above industry benchmark click-through rates.
Results
The campaign for FOX's series "Perfect Tenant" on sahibinden.com yielded impressive results. With three different advertisement models, the campaign generated over 7 million impressions. It attracted 45,000 unique visitors to the FOX homepage. The click-through rate (CTR) for the campaign was particularly remarkable. The mobile native ads achieved a CTR that was 740% above industry benchmarks, while the search result ads achieved a CTR that was 870% above benchmarks. The ad detail CTR was also notable, exceeding industry benchmarks by 60%. Overall, the campaign successfully raised awareness and piqued the curiosity of potential viewers for the series "Perfect Tenant".
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4. “It Pays To Be Friends With Showtime” - Billions
Showtime's Billions did a surprise payout stunt using a Venmo account to drive conversation and reward fans on premiere night.
Movement Strategy Los Angeles • 2021 • TV show • Cross-country • Global
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to create a buzz and generate conversation around the return of Season 5 Part 2 of Billions after a 504-day hiatus. The goal was to reward loyal viewers and get Billions trending on premiere night to drive tune-in. The social team had to come up with an engaging idea that would captivate the audience and make them excited about the premiere.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was loyal viewers of the TV show Billions who had been eagerly awaiting the return of Season 5 Part 2.
Idea
The main idea of the campaign was to generate conversation and excitement for the return of Season 5 Part 2 of Billions, reward loyal viewers, and get the show trending on premiere night. The campaign involved creating a Venmo account and offering fans the chance to be friends with "Dollar Bill" from the show, with the promise of receiving cash. This unique and engaging concept encouraged fans to participate and helped drive buzz around the premiere.
Results
The surprise payout stunt for the return of Season 5 of Billions generated impressive results. Within 12 hours, the campaign garnered 7.4K total owned engagements and 14.5K total mentions on social media, an 18.8% increase from Season 5 Part 1. Despite having no paid media support, the campaign achieved 1 million total impressions. The hashtag #Billions trended on Twitter within the first seven minutes of the premiere, indicating a strong buzz and engagement from fans. The Venmo-specific mentions also saw a ~6% engagement rate, more than double what Billions typically experiences on other social platforms. Overall, the campaign successfully rewarded loyal viewers, drove conversation, and created excitement for the premiere night of Billions Season 5 Part 2.
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5. “Public Display of Encouragement” - Ted Lasso
Apple did a Ted Lasso-inspired campaign to support the US men's national soccer team using personalized handwritten letters placed on billboards and other locations in each player's hometown.
TBWA\Media Arts lab • 2023 • TV show • United States • North America
Challenge
The challenge of this campaign was to effectively promote the Emmy award-winning comedy series Ted Lasso and the Apple TV+ streaming service by supporting the US men's national soccer team heading to the 2022 World Cup. The campaign aimed to capture the wit and charm of the Ted Lasso character and resonate with fans while generating significant media coverage and positive PR impressions.
Target Group
The target group of this campaign was the US men's national soccer team, specifically the players who were heading to the 2022 World Cup.
Idea
The main idea of the campaign was to promote the TV series Ted Lasso and the Apple TV+ streaming service by supporting the US men's national soccer team as they prepared for the 2022 World Cup. This was achieved by creating personalized, handwritten letters for each player on the team, filled with the humor and charm associated with the Ted Lasso character. These letters were then displayed in prominent locations in each player's hometown, such as billboards, high schools, and historic buildings. The goal was to generate media coverage, raise awareness of the show and streaming service, and create a positive association between Ted Lasso and the US team. The campaign resulted in extensive media coverage, earning over $20 million in media value and generating 2.3 billion PR impressions.
Results
The campaign to support the US men's national soccer team with personalized letters from Ted Lasso proved to be highly successful. It generated over 700 articles and earned media worth $20 million. The campaign also received extensive coverage, with 2.3 billion PR impressions. The jumbo-sized letters displayed on billboards, high schools, and a historic barn in each player's hometown attracted significant attention and created a buzz around the show and Apple TV+.
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Disclaimer: All campaign descriptions in this post are AI-generated, based on real-life descriptions provided by the authors.
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