We turned New York City into Gotham to celebrate the launch of HBO Originals’ new series The Penguin.

HBO was looking to create a strategic launch campaign for The Penguin in the city it all took place, NYC. Our challenge was to capture the attention of busy New Yorkers in a busy city and position the series as the next wave in culture.

We began by delving deep into the series core themes and the psychological appeal of a character who represents both villain and underdog.

What we found is that not only are audiences eager to explore the boundaries of their own moral compass, they are captivated by a new cultural landscape where fringe aesthetics and a subcultural renaissance has made the underworld the new center of culture.

To entice them, we reimagined Gotham as the hidden underbelly of NYC, inviting audiences to crossover into the underworld of the series where they could become pals with The Penguin and experience the perks of being in with the city’s new kingpin.

Our Campaign

A two-week city takeover began with guerilla drop points and merch giveaways, grew into takeovers of local businesses like Scars Pizza and Emiliio Bollato, and culminated in a takeover of San Gennaro Festival ahead of the series premier.

The Impact

Our campaign drove over 500M impressions, 50k in earned media value, and drove lines throughout the city with New Yorkers waiting over 30 minutes at every drop point to receiver their perks.

Role
Senior Strategist

Client
HBO Max

Agency
Matte Projects

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