In recent years, Korean entertainment has taken the world by storm. Everything from K-pop to TV shows and movies received unprecedented levels of attention. But AOUAD was more than just another Korean series: it was an experience that could be shared. Zombie classmates rampaging the corridors of a high school is a plot that could have taken place anywhere in the world. As a result, Netflix could let people across the globe live the apocalypse.

The experience needed to directly connect the campaign’s branding with AOUAD’s setting and time. The show needed to stand out, otherwise letting people experience the apocalypse would be lost in the noise of other zombie media. Netflix tapped into the high school setting, invoking nostalgia and making the “Live the Apocalypse” experience unlike any other zombie uprising. By doing so, Netflix aims high for the South Korean horror series to become the next viral sensation. 

Hearing the moans and gasping from an army of undead onscreen is a two-dimensional experience. For Netflix, living the apocalypse meant viewers could experience it up close. Key to Netflix’s campaign was to create a distinct engagement with its audience that stood out among other zombie flicks. By connecting the experience to the series, Netflix could attract its audience and offer them the chance to live the apocalypse at Hyosan High.

Netflix chose to bring the apocalypse to its audience wherever they may be lurking. This meant billboards and other out-of-home advertisements and social media outreach, but Netflix wanted to tap into something more primal. Netflix wanted people passing by going about their routines to be the latest victims to get ensnared into a zombie uprising; unsuspecting just like the students at Hyosan High.

Target Audience:

Netflix’s target audience were those who are open to different cultural experiences. They may have already been exposed to foreign entertainment through the platform or are interested in being introduced to new content.

Approach:

Netflix wanted to reach out to its target audience where they are already, such as hanging out in shopping malls, making their commute, or browsing social media.

Media Planning:

1. Pre-launch: Netflix drops teasers, puts up billboards, and holds media briefings

2. Post-launch: Local markets launch experiential tactics, including a pop-up zone in South Korea, a bus stunt in Thailand, and a public service announcement in Philippines; local media and influencers were leveraged to amplify the experience online

In the lead-up to the January 28th launch, AOUAD billboards popped up in high-traffic areas across South Korea. Netflix also dropped trailers hyping the series to the media.

Two days ahead of the launch, onlookers in Bangkok spotted a AOUAD-themed school bus. They would look on in fear as zombies attempted to free themselves from the bus. Meanwhile, shoppers and pedestrians in Seoul teamed up to survive an onslaught of virtual undead at a pop-up experience area. And on January 30th, a public service announcement on the arrival of an apocalypse appeared in the Philippines, parodying nostalgic PSAs broadcasts.

The campaign launched globally in February with a TikTok filter that turned users into undead ghouls, taking over key hashtags and targeting key demographics and topics. Netflix also collaborated with local TikTok Influencers in key markets, sending them backpacks of all the classroom items they’d need to survive a zombie apocalypse.

The outbreak of Netflix’s campaign spread AOUAD worldwide. It became the number one title in 13 markets, and ranked in the top 10 in 94 countries and regions. And the show’s six episodes became the 3rd most watched season of a non-English show. AOUAD’s popularity in the media showed how contagious the series was when it launched.

On TikTok alone, the campaign received 14.7 billion views worldwide. The campaign racked up 647 million impressions across social media under the #AllOfUsAreDead hashtag. South Korea’s pop-up experience zone saw 435,000 visitors alone, leading to viral social media posts.

The results of the campaign showed that viewers were hungry to live the apocalypse anyway they could through AOUAD. Netflix created a connection between the show and its fans by distinguishing AOUAD as the go-to zombie uprising to survive.