Category: Best Use of Mobile Devices
Advertiser: FOX INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS
Product/Service: THE WALKING DEAD
Agency: RED BEE MEDIA
Agency: FOX INTERNATIONAL CHANNELS
Creative Director: Katrina Howell (Red Bee Media)
Technical Director: Bharat Trivedi (Red Bee Media)
Creative/Designer: Yong Ping Loo (Red Bee Media)
Strategic Planner: Tim Whirledge (Red Bee Media)
Ios Developer: Andy Fitter (Red Bee Media)
Interactive Programmer: Giles Wright (Red Bee Media)
Developer: Richard Najdowski (Red Bee Media)
Head Of UX: Bruce Collingwood (Red Bee Media)
Head Of Interface Design: Paul Fennell (Red Bee Meda)
Digital Producer: Anke Stentiford (Red Bee Media)
Client Services Director: Michelle Marks (Red Bee Media)
Copywriter: Ben Mahon (Red Bee Media)
Director Of Innovation/Technology: Steve Plunkett (Red Bee Media)
Sales Director: Matthijs Wolff (Civolution)
Account Director: Richard Stuart (Red Bee Media)
Media placement: Ipad IOS App - Apple App Store - 17th February
Media placement: Iphone IOS App - Apple App Store - 17th February
Insights, Strategy & the Idea
Fox asked us to create an innovative way to reignite excitement for the return of the second half of Season two. Offering fans a new, social way to engage with the zombie series. Balancing engaging fans whilst not detracting from watching their favourite TV show.
We wanted to give something back to the army of existing fans and entice new viewers by giving existing fans a reason to share the love of the show.
The idea had to balance audience attention, as most dramas demand 100% attention so not to miss anything. So the central challenge was to maximise engagement without compromising the drama.
The opportunity for the second screen experience clearly lay either side of the primary narrative. Further audience research into the show’s fans revealed one final truth. Not only did they love talking about the show in social media, fans simply loved a good zombie ‘kill’.
Creative Execution
Our idea was the “Walkers Kill Count’ companion app. Syncing the app to the show itself, viewers can predict the number of zombie kills in each episode and watch as the action unfolds (both live and on-demand).
Achieving a UK first of using digital audio watermarking in a TV companion app.
Which embeds inaudible watermarks into the TV show, which triggers interactions within the app.
Fans can predict the number of zombie kills in each episode, which characters did the most dirty work and the most used brutal weapon.
Fans can see what’s being said on the Twittersphere and join in the conversation. To reward fans before/after the show, they can re-live their favourite zombie kills.
The app offers a beautifully crafted, cutting edge, first of its kind second screen experience that compliments the main show. Giving fans that extra content and excitement they were craving.
Results and Effectiveness
Available in the Apple Store as a free download to iPad and iPhone users.
Over 62,000 people have downloaded the app within the first 3 weeks of Season 2. Numbers are growing.
Over 300,000 Game sessions and was rated in the Top 5 News & Noteworthy on iTunes.
The app has been named as one of the 50 most innovative mobile apps by UK Trade & Investment.
Promoted across the FXUK Channel with on-air teasers and online through the FXUK website and Facebook pages. It also included a seeding campaign to maximise awareness.