As many television studios look to digital platforms to create anticipation for new shows, NBC added experiential tactics to the mix to get fans excited for its programming. Taking over a crowded intersection in New York earlier this month, the network created in-person activations for its two most anticipated new dramas, Heroes Reborn and Blindspot.
NBC partnered with LeadDog Marketing Group to build two interactive fan experiences in Times Square's pedestrian plaza for two consecutive weekends: September 12 and 13 for Heroes Reborn and September 19 and 20 for Blindspot. For the Heroes reboot, which premiered September 24, people could pose as a "heroes" and participate in a 4-D interactive game that took them into the show's world. Like its predecessor, the 13-episode miniseries revolves around ordinary people who discover they have special powers.
The Blindspot activation incorporated the show's premise—in which a mysterious woman covered in elaborate tattoos wakes up in Times Square with no memory and grabs the interest of the F.B.I.—into a photo booth and on-site temporary tattoo bar. NBC also launched a "Blindspot Tattoo Yourself" website before the show premiered on September 21, which allowed visitors to take a photo that placed their head on a tattooed body similar to that of the show's main character.
"NBC was looking to immerse people in the shows in a way that could live physically and digitally," said Rob Drury, LeadDog's West Coast managing director of entertainment. "Both [activations] allowed you to actually become a character from the show."
The activations took advantage of the location by featuring photos on a giant digital billboard, which constantly updated. Individual photos were shared on social media with the shows' hashtags, and printed for those who participated.
In addition to the two in-person promotions, NBC's marketing campaign also includes a prominent Times Square billboard on display from August 24 to September 27, which showcases its fall lineup and live streamed an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 9.
