Build a Fan Base for a Story Yet to Be Told: Defiance

Challenge
With no existing fan base, launch the world’s most ambitious trans-media entertainment property to date – a scripted television drama and an online multi-player game occupying one convergent world to a premiere audience of at least five million.

Solution
Hijack popular culture. Over nine months we strategically, authentically and creatively infiltrated relevant pop culture events to incite interest in the characters and story. From recreating the in-world cafe at Comic-Con, to piggybacking major entertainment premieres like The Walking Dead, to creating the first TED Talk about alien linguistics and the first pop-up hotel at SXSW, everything we did created content and built buzz about the characters and storyline.
Working with the story’s creators, we developed a Tumblr filled with character backstories and hosted mythology mini-sodes online. Our community, The Defiant Few, helped spread the word as the premiere night approached.

Change
Six million viewers for the premiere, the network’s highest rated scripted premiere in six years. Defiance was Syfy’s most social launch ever, with engagement topping that of Game of Thrones. We surpassed our goal of Facebook likes by 77% and within a few weeks of launch, Season 2 was announced for 2014.