Netflix: Launches and Activations

Annihilation

Pre Launch

We created an integrated outdoor campaign to get people chatting about #Annihilation.

In the build-up to the launch date of the movie, we started with the ‘Growth Billboards’ – two billboards in different locations in Joburg. Each billboard began unbranded (no Netflix logo whatsoever) with a pro-humanist message “HUMANITY WILL OUTLIVE THE EARTH”, but over the next 4 days a growing vine slowly enveloped it. This vine grew over parts of the original message to create the next message:

“HUMANITY WILL NOT LIVE.”

The final stage of growth ended with the movie’s main marketing line: “HUMANITY’S EXCTINCTION IS NATURES EVOLUTION.” Only at this point did we add Netflix branding, and reveal that this growing billboard was a promotional piece for the upcoming film.

Things got progressively weirder as the campaign continued and the billboards got more warped. For 4 days, we planted 10 crazy doomsday predictors on the streets of Joburg, near the billboards. These men would scream and shout in the streets, hand out poorly made “flyers”, urging people to notice that nature has “had enough” and is about to regain control over the Earth.

They themselves were also “infected” by the movie, and weird plant growth began to slowly overwhelm them over the course of the 3 days. Each doomsday predictor featured the hashtag #Annihilation, so people could chat about it online and try find out what this was all about.

The final stage of growth ended with the movie’s main marketing line: “HUMANITY’S EXCTINCTION IS NATURE’S EVOLUTION.” Only at this point did we add Netflix branding, and reveal that this growing billboard was a promotional piece for the upcoming film.

Shimmer Billboard

Post Launch

This all led up to the reveal of the ‘Shimmer’ billboard on the night of the 11th of March (the day before the movie launched on Netflix). This shimmering billboard featured the 5 main cast members walking through the mysterious force field that is central to the movie’s plot.

Luke Cage Season 2

Pre Launch

Netflix’s most iconic Barber Shop lands in South Africa.

Our Task: Launch Season 2 of Luke Cage to South Africa.

Insight: Soweto has an iconic barber shop culture that grooms thousands of people a day.

What We Did: For one day, we turned the Zone 6 Barber Shop in Soweto, into the iconic ‘Pop’s Barber Shop’.

Fans got to experience a true-to-the-show replica of Pop’s Barber Shop.

Down to the smallest details: An old chess board in the corner, gold decals on the windows, a sign stating “No Profanity” and retro red leather barber seats to name just a few.

Luke Cage, Season 1 footage played on TVs creating hype around Season 2.

The Best Part: Fans were able to get ‘cut’ like their favourite Luke Cage heroes, down to the finest detail.

These were all complimentary cuts by the world famous Soweto barbers: Legends.

While getting their Hero Haircut, guests could have their comic-book-style portrait created by South African comic book illustrator, Loyiso Mkize.