AMC THE WALKING DEAD Case Study
Make AMC’s hit show The Walking Dead advertiser friendly, carefully navigating the tone and themes of the show while keeping it fun for viewers and integrating sponsor products in humorous ways within an all-out apocalypse where there’s no power, few resources, and very little to be happy about.
MOUNTAIN DEW “WALKING DEAD ENCOUNTER” APP
We partnered with AMC’s The Walking Dead for the most elaborate brand integration campaign in series history – a new augmented-reality app activating millions of viewers.
TWD Encounter app lets fans collect iconic walkers from the show by scanning one of more than 100 million Dew products or one of our commercials throughout Season 8, and then place them into the real world and share on social media.
Our series of custom vignettes spanned the entire season and blended the heightened world of the show with Dew-style action sport stunts, while delivering on our client’s marketing goals to entertain millions of viewers and move them to download this immersive second-screen experience.
After building excitement around the app at Comic-Con and releasing before the season premiere, AMC and Mountain Dew were rewarded with a flurry of positive coverage about this landmark partnership.
MICROSOFT SURFACE YEAR-LONG
Throughout Season 5, we created a unique year-long sponsorship campaign for Microsoft to reach the frenzied fan base of AMC’s top-ranked, record-breaking show.
The first aired during the season premiere around Halloween, the second during the mid-season finale just in time for the Black Friday holiday shopping season, and the third during the season finale near April Fools.
We took advantage of the timing of those spots to get the most out of each integration, while continuing to blur the line between the apocalyptic atmosphere of the show and real life. We know TWD viewers love looking for easter eggs in the show, so we cast the same couple in the final two spots to give them a running thread that connects the story.
DR PEPPER
We took Dr Pepper’s One of a Kind brand campaign straight to the Walking Dead’s dedicated viewership (chock full of one-of-a-kind people) to highlight their Ultimate Fan Contest. And everything, from the first take to the color correct and final tracking/composite, was finished in one week.
We wrangled dozens of dancing zombie fans and one very cute bulldog to end up with a spot worthy of AMC’s undead standards.
The Facebook destination was a tremendous success for both AMC and Dr. Pepper… we had to keep updating the spots to keep track of the FB fans… adding almost 2 million to the number during the contest.
We capped off the contest by flying the winner down to shoot a special spot announcing his victory… pretty amazing guy, (and probably newest professional special effects makeup artist)!
BRIGHTHOUSE
When you put two TV execs on the set of The Walking Dead, the results can be surprising.
We worked with AMC and cable provider Brighthouse for this one-of-a-kind Upfront parody set in the world of the Walking Dead, as our unrelenting sales force duo approaches Glen, Maggie, and Daryl for an offer they…. well, can refuse.
Carefully shot around the schedules of the series’ stars on location in central Georgia, we recreated the ominous world of the Walking Dead and added a heavy dose of humor to give AMC’s Upfront audience a spoof they weren’t expecting.
We worked with their makeup artists and production team to get everything we needed during the hour we had talent, including a stable of zombies and a perfect dilapidated house. Throw in a dusty country road, an old van, and some composited special effects for an unforgettable piece that combined the best of both worlds, albeit worlds that you’d never think you’d see come together.
MICROSOFT BING
The spot that started it all. It spawned copies, NYT news articles, and established the tone for everything that followed.
Luckily the show’s HUGE fan base allowed us to play with the environment and common scenarios from the series to keep viewers engaged throughout the breaks with more content that looks and feels like the show.
Working with their Emmy-winning special effects team didn’t hurt either.
MEASURING SUCCESS
We worked with countless teams of talented makeup artists, handlers, actors, crew, and everyone in between to pull these together in very short time periods all over the country. Plus, everyone loves a little behind the scenes!
Each and every season of the Walking Dead has delivered highest rated drama ever numbers… besting every cable and broadcast show that night. These spots sparked conversations online, inspired discussion and commentary, and positioned brands to be at the forefront of effective integrations – capturing the attention of a specific audience in ways that show they’re “in the know.”
