Netflix: On The Run With Pablo

Credits & Description:

Title: Narcos: On The Run With Pablo
Agency: Mullenlowe Mediahub
Brand: Netflix
Country: USA
Entrant Company: Mullenlowe Mediahub, Boston
Advertising Agency: Mullenlowe Mediahub, Boston
Media Agency: Mullenlowe Mediahub, Boston
Director Of Marketing - North America, Australia, New Zealand: Megan Imbres (Netflix)
Marketing Manager - North America, Australia, New Zealand: Rose Russo (Netflix)
Global President: John Moore (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Evp Executive Director Of Innovation, Americas: Sean Corcoran (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Svp, Director Of Media Content And Innovation: Laurel Boyd (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Associate Director Of Media Content: Simeon Edmunds (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Senior Media Planner: Ali Sakai (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Assistant Media Planner: Kelly Ross (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Associate Ooh Media Director: Jaime Elejalde (Rapport/Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Ooh Account Executive: Tanya Bouyounes (Rapport/Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Ooh Media Director: Glyn Williams (Rapport/Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Associate Media Director: Michelle Blaser (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Manager Connection Planning: Jennifer Thompson (Ipg Mediabrands)
Vp Client Business Partner: Petra Moy (Ipg Mediabrands)
Svp, Group Director Of Video Investments: Carrie Drinkwater (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Associate Media Director, Video Investments: Brendan Marrese (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Media Planner: Tyler Warner (Mullenlowe Mediahub)
Execution:
We kicked off on cnn.com where we revived real news about Pablo’s prison break on the anniversary of his 1992 escape through a homepage takeover on 7/29/16. In television, we played into our target’s political passion with spots during the July national conventions featuring footage from ‘90s politicians, reminding them of Escobar’s impact on American politics. OOH displayed compelling trivia. TSA bins featured minimal supplies Escobar could bring with him on the run, and bus shelters were filled with $2MM in fake scorched cash, representing the amount Escobar burned to keep his family warm.Two weeks leading up to launch, we turned up the heat with custom content on favorite sites (WIRED, GQ and WSJ) giving fans a deep dive into the technology, fashion and cash laundering behind Escobar’s fugitive lifestyle. We even recreated his favorite sweater, giving it to influencers at a GQ live screening.
Strategy:
Our male 25–54 target was highbrow in their media and consumption habits. They’re business-savvy news junkies, avid readers, political junkies and thrill seekers. So we focused on their favorite destinations: cnn.com, wired.com, gq.com and wallstreetjournal.com. Presence on these destinations was complemented by unique OOH placements in areas and geographies frequented by our target and TV spots in their favorite political television content.Season two chronicles the action-packed manhunt to kill Escobar following his escape from Colombian prison, so our approach was to give our target the additional details they craved as it related to his fugitive lifestyle in each of these media destinations. Content specifically tailored to each environment invited them to discover more of the story.
Outcome:
Audience reception to the campaign was proof we created a moment of joy for consumers. 260MM social impressions were generated during the peak of the campaign. Time spent with custom content was as high as 4:27 (benchmark was 1:00). Finally, Narcos season two was the #2 most talked about OTT series and was in the top 15 most social drama series in the month of September (Source: Nielsen Social).
Synopsis:
Netflix invests $6B+ each year in original content to be the best streaming service in the world. Their ability to connect high-quality content to the audience perfectly suited for viewing it has put them on the short list of pop culture’s most beloved brands. So when Netflix promotes an original title, the marketing goal is to spark the same consumer joy and cultural conversation created by the content itself.It was no different for Narcos, the drama series following the Medellin drug cartel’s rise to become the most notorious criminal organization in history. After developing a full-fledged cult following in its inaugural season, our goal was to rekindle the series love and create anticipation for the season two launch on 9/21.
Relevancy:
To promote Narcos season two, we created a groundbreaking media campaign that gave our audience what they craved: unique access to the details of Pablo Escobar’s life that they obsessed over. The campaign took them “on the run with Pablo” and embodied Netflix’s brand ethos and approach to media, which is to abandon traditional marketing tactics and forge new territory to create moments of joy for consumers.
Campaign Description:
Viewership research revealed Narcos enthusiasts develop an insatiable thirst for additional facts and trivia surrounding the historical events the series is based on. So we gave our audience exactly what they wanted. We ignited excitement for season two of the Netflix original series by taking our audience “on the run with Pablo” in each of their favorite media environments, revealing details of his fugitive lifestyle in a way that was tailored to each media channel and publication.