OUTFRONT Media Leads Out-Of-Home Campaign for New HBO Drama Series Watchmen
In anticipation of one of their biggest shows of the year, HBO made a massive splash for Watchmen by utilizing an array of OUTFRONT (NYSE: OUT) out-of-home assets including bus posters, transit shelters, wallscapes, billboards, subway posters, and Liveboards, throughout New York City and Los Angeles.
The campaign maximizes augmented reality (" AR") on LA and NY bus shelters , which surprises commuters as it appears to " rain squids" from the sky, a reference from the original Watchmen graphic novel and the series' first episode.
This is accomplished by placing a camera directed on the street and superimposing the experience on the current environment. The Liveboards included a real-time countdown that led up to the show's premiere on Sunday, October 20; an additional eight episodes will be released throughout the season.
The series' all-star cast members include, Regina King, Jeremy Irons, Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Tim Blake Nelson, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and more.
"Squid falling from the sky is a daily reality for the characters in our Watchmen universe, and one that to them isn't really that odd," said Yauny Wheaton, VP Program Marketing, HBO. "For commuters in our world though it would be totally unexpected. So, with the use of AR technology we found a way to bring this unique element of the series to life."
The campaign features the series' key image and tagline " It's Time" in bright neon font, which is promoted on both dynamic digital and static displays. With a combination of out-of-home assets placed throughout two of the largest cities in the country, the show is set to have a significant following.
"The combination of highly visible out-of-home media formats created huge awareness for Watchmen's much anticipated launch," said Jodi Senese, Chief Marketing Officer of OUTFRONT Media. "HBO utilized a strong mix of static and dynamic digital assets to prime and excite the marketplace for this bold new series."
About HBO's Watchmen:
Watchmen is an American superhero drama television series, inspired by some characters from the DC Comics limited series of the same name created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The TV series is created by Damon Lindelof for HBO, with Lindelof serving as executive producer and writer. The series takes place in an alternate contemporary reality in the United States, in which superheroes and masked vigilantes were outlawed due to their violent methods, but some of them gather around to start a revolution while others attempt to stop it. According to Lindelof, the TV series is not a direct adaptation of the original source material, instead, being "remixed"; aiming to tell an entirely new story set in the world where the events of the original storyline took place. The series also showcases different points of view, with the only characters from the original storyline confirmed to appear in the series being Doctor Manhattan, the former Silk Spectre, and former hero Ozymandias. It retains continuity with the original comic, however, and can be considered a loose sequel. The series' lead character is detective Angela Abar, codenamed Sister Night, portrayed by Regina King.