Case Study
When the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pulled the plug on promotional appearances by writers and actors just as the campaign for Twisted Metal launched, the Peacock team needed Wpromote to pivot quickly and build a new influencer-centric strategy in record time to fill the gaps.
Their Story
Peacock is NBC Universal’s flagship streaming service. In addition to a deep library of TV shows and movies, they are the streaming home of some of the biggest real-time moments across all of television, including the Olympics and the Spanish-language broadcast of the World Cup. To drive new subscriber acquisition and retention, Peacock also produces original series and movies that launch directly onto the platform.
The Challenge
When Peacock and Wpromote teamed up to promote Twisted Metal, the new original series adapted from the legendary video game, they knew influencers would be a major component and critical to connecting effectively with the right audiences in the gaming community and beyond. But when the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes pulled the plug on the usual run of awareness-raising and excitement-generating promotional appearances by writers and actors, the Peacock team needed Wpromote to adapt quickly and formulate a new plan.
Wpromote had to find the right partners to promote the new series, starting with evaluating new creators outside of the entertainment sphere because SAG-AFTRA and WGA members were prohibited from promotional activities and many creators affiliated with the entertainment industry were committed to solidarity with the unions. At the same time, we had to make sure we weren’t partnering with creators who were anti-union or publishing content against the strike.
The Solution
The team quickly built a new influencer-centric strategy, leveraging new creator partners from the video game, cosplay, and comedy communities to bring the series to life and build buzz across key platforms including TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
We used our proprietary partner selection methodology, which includes vetting for brand affinity, to find influencers who were excited about Twisted Metal, not just looking to get a paycheck. The selection was especially important for two roles: the influencer we were sending on-site to share the Twisted Metal activation at San Diego Comic-Con and the host of the New York series premiere party.
By operating as one team, Wpromote and Peacock worked together to strategically select the best-suited partners based on our audience-first criteria in record time, including unique new partnerships like the cosplay creator at Comic-Con who had never done an entertainment brand partnership before and the comedian who successfully hosted the Twisted Metal premiere.
Peacock provided specific messaging points and feedback but largely gave the creators creative control, which led to a mix of content styles including review videos, gamification elements, comedy skits, and pop culture-focused AR.
Channels + Services
Results
Wpromote’s creator campaigns served up the big numbers Peacock needed, helping to refamiliarize viewers with the original IP and bring the new series to life in creative ways.
