Film fanatics / Find your target audience and then give them something of value while letting them know what you do and who you are. It sounds simple, but many brands get this wrong. Not so in the case of the Underground Premiere campaign, which smartly targets film fans on YouTube. It did this by placing its pre-roll before trailer videos of TV shows and movies that are generally consumed by an audience actively looking for new watchable content. This audience is likely to be receptive to a new TV series even if they’ve never heard of Trauma or 13ème Rue. The placement of the first episode in the Paris metro also invited people to follow the trail around the transportation network, drawing them into the murky world of the series and all the while building anticipation for the next instalment of content.
First-time watch / 13ème Rue couldn’t make too much of its new TV series free, which would cheapen its offer and fail to make the channel a profit. But giving away the first episode was enough to introduce its audience to the series’ cast of characters, running themes and visual language. The campaign also managed to do this in a cinematic environment in line with the theme of the dark storyline – underground metro stations in Paris. The first episode – or pilot – of any TV series is crucial for drawing in audiences, and in this case, it was enough to get them hooked. 13ème Rue also specialises in action and suspense shows so having its audience take part in their very own thriller (of sorts) is very on-brand.
The show must go / The campaign also taps into people’s changing media consumption habits. Advances in technology and increasing internet access have allowed people to consume TV content practically whenever and wherever they like. According to a recent survey by Ofcom, more than a third of people in the UK watch TV on the move – on holiday (24%), while commuting (16%) or even in the pub (7%).
13ème Rue took advantage of the recently installed 4G network which covers the entirety of the Paris metro as well as people’s increasing propensity to use smartphones to watch video content. With this technological insight and foundation, 13ème Rue’s campaign successfully turned people’s boring metro commutes into an exclusive premiere.
