Netflix's House of Cards
Problem:
Netflix was launching one of its first original series and was struggling with how it was going to create significant fanfare for the show through partner-sponsored marketing placements? What placement opportunities existed and how could those produce interest in the show and growth in memberships?
Approach:
As this show was going to reach an international audience, our first focus was on how we could, in a single image, capture attention and intrigue. The iconic image of bloody-handed Francis Underwood sitting in Honest Abe's Lincoln Memorial chair stood out in audience testing. Next, we gathered region-specific marketing data to understand each country's marketing preferences and then pitching placement opportunity concepts to our partners in each region.
Solution:
Develop a partner-sponsored marketing campaign that could be tailored to each specific region's marketing method while leveraging consistent branding and imagery to saturate new markets across digital, OOH, OTT marketing placements. Audiences worldwide soon would all want to know, "What is House of Cards?"
Interactive Experience
In partnership with Microsoft Xbox, I directed the design of an interactive experience to tease out the new Netflix Original series. A microsite on the Xbox console's dashboard that allowed users to watch exclusive House of Cards content ahead of the day one release of the series.
Homepage Takeovers
Developed tailored-made marketing materials for Netflix's partners' sponsored homepage takeovers and exclusive social media postings. The series was released in over four different countries, dozens of different digital partners, and each translation required its own specific execution.
Digital & Print Marketing
Directed the creation of hundreds of worldwide digital & print marketing and publicity pieces. These included animated banners, playful static banners, packaging stickers, shopping mall banners, retail endcaps, website sponsored media, and more.
In-Store Displays
Created retail store and shopping mall window display banners. The execution of this work required a careful balance of branding and respect for the original series's iconic artwork. The pieces were to be subtle in delivering the message that Netflix was delivering original series and the artwork contained no dates as to live for months in store windows.
