Netflix, 6 Underground – Case Study
Manchester Central, December 2019
Who – Netflix
Netflix are a global-wide streaming service that offers customers a vast collection of movies, TV shows, and documentaries, in over 30 languages, and available in 190 countries. Founded in 1997, the original concept of Netflix was a DVD rental company. Throughout the years the company grew and evolved, moved online, and by 2006 they had gained over 5 million memberships. Fast forward to 2020, Netflix has 182 million subscribers, has won awards for their individually produced shows, and are continuously on the search to provide their customers with the best-in-class entertainment. It’s no surprise that when using OOH large format for their latest releases, Netflix go all out with their creative to really make their mark.
Where
This particular campaign, the launch of 6 Underground, made an impact on the densely populated city of Manchester on blowUP media’s Manchester Central Giant Poster in December of 2019. This roadside site is extremely popular, and on a daily basis will be seen by an audience of 85,715 shoppers, tourists, and business workers each day.
How
Ahead of launching their action-packed thriller, Netflix wanted to challenge the boundaries of special builds and banners by seeing just how many elements they could put on to one giant poster. Incorporating strip lighting, LED lights, and 2D cut-outs into their campaign, Netflix were able to produce an electric and standout creative that aligned perfectly with the feel of their upcoming release. To execute the advanced visuals that Netflix wanted to create, the banner consisted of three different elements – strip lighting, LED lighting, and 2D cut-outs. The strip lighting was wrapped around the car at the centre of the creative to give the impression of a car on fire. LED lighting and a 2D cut-out was used to bring the ‘6 Underground’ to life directly underneath the star of the movie, Ryan Reynolds. Finally, the 2D cut-out effect was also called upon to elevate the helicopter above the rest of the banner and bring it forward.
Result
The final image was the perfect synergy of a special effect movie and special effect advertising. As a result of these highly effective creative elements, people passing by would stop to take photographs of the banner, share and discuss with friends, or simply to admire the creative visuals. The campaign managed to stand out in this bustling location at one of the busiest times of the year. The overall campaign deployed by Netflix meant that 83 million subscribers watched the film in the first 4 weeks of its release, making it one of their most successful movie releases to date.
