SXSWestworld
Film and Television Media Industry
HBO's Westworld
March 2018
Austin, TX, USA
Opportunity
In the world of television, shows “live or die in the ratings by their ability to engage fans- in real life.”1 Similar to most television shows, there is an opportunity to create an extremely strong fanbase. Westworld saw the opportunity to connect with fans on a deeper level and gain potential new viewers. With the opportunity to grow the franchise and generate buzz for the upcoming season 2, earned media and experience was their opportunity. Additionally, Westworld understood that people are extremely fatigued by screen-time, and they needed a way to bring this show to life in a different way and curb that exhaustion.
Solution
This was a 90,000 sq ft replica of Westworld so detailed and accurate that it would enhance the show-watching experience for current fans, and pique the interest of potential viewers. Their solution included literally putting the viewers into the set with over 60 actors who followed a 444-page script.
Activation Breakdown
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This activation offered “4,500 unique, ‘must share’ experiences.” The main activation breakdown included:
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A pre-event faux park tourism campaign with outdoor ads and guerrilla marketing.
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A personality assessment for guests to guide their journey once they arrived, giving out thousands of white or black hats.
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A partnership with an Austin tavern to serve as a meeting point.
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A 90,000 square foot replica of the world.
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60 actors with a 444-page script, costumes, props, and direction.
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A bus to transport participants to the activation location.
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A partnership with Lyft for VIP guests to travel to the location.
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A partnership with Delta Air Lines to utilize and brand a shuttle flight from Los Angeles.
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A social share page via email personalized with a wanted poster.
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16 structures carefully copied from the show including a functioning bar, poker house, and barbershop.
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Results
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Tickets sold out within minutes.
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Lines were as long as 10 hours to get into the event.
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It became, “the #1 most talked-about event at SXSW with 1.9 billion social impressions and nearly 500 articles published from sources around the globe.”1
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2,625 black hats and 875 white hats distributed.
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4,500 attendees.
Takeaway
Television and film media have the perfect opportunity to immerse their fan base and that is exactly what SXSWestworld did. With detailed replicas, actors, and a whole new environment for people to exist and play in, this activation was extremely engaging. Essentially a theme park, HBO made sure that this was the event everyone would be talking about- which it was. It utilized the sense of real-life engagement rather than on-screen like their product is, which engages the senses and memory of the show. Finally, it enlisted the help of partners in different industries to create even more awareness. One additional element that cannot go unnoticed is the brand’s commitment to making sure everyone got to experience it. If people in line couldn’t get in that day, they were offered first in line for the next day.
In Action
1 Heasley, J. (2019 May 15). Grand EX 2019: HBO, Giant Spoon and the Experiential Campaign of the Year. Event Marketer. https://www.eventmarketer.com/article/grand-ex-2019-hbo-giant-spoon-sxswestworld/