Our key challenge was to promote “Locke and Key” to a target audience that avoids traditional forms of advertising, which meant we needed to find a clever way to reach audiences on the platforms and channels that they enjoy: social media. Influencers enabled us to reach highly engaged communities, while the clever idea to bring the show’s magic into a real-world setting caught viewers off-guard – and caught their attention, fueling conversation across the internet and borders.

The main characters of “Locke and Key” can travel anywhere in the world just by thinking about it – an idea that seems outside the limits of our reality, at least until February 10 2020. We partnered with a handful of influencers to host livestreamed unboxings that at first glance didn’t seem different than their usual content – but upon unboxing the very same key featured in the Netflix original series, the YouTubers had the chance to embark on a magical journey. Each influencer hailed from a different country, yet they could suddenly visit one another’s sets and livestreams simply by crossing a door, bringing their audiences along with them.

“Locke and Key” is a show of magic and fantasy and aims to reach a 16-23 year old audience. This generation typically avoids traditional advertising, presenting us with the challenge of how we could reach them in a way that was unexpected, yet fit within their daily digital habits. We began by exploring the premise of the show – traveling anywhere in the world simply by opening a door – and connecting it with the place where many Gen Z consumers meet today: online. We partnered four of the strongest Latin American YouTubers among our target audience to deliver a unique experience that no one has seen before: the Everywhere Streaming experience.

Bringing the fantasy of the show to life was a magic trick in itself; each livestream began no different than your typical unboxing video, until the YouTubers found themselves – each from different parts of the continent – physically connected through a series of doors. Here’s how the magic happened. Each of the four YouTubers began livestreaming on the same day and time. While it looked as if they were each in their typical locations, we had actually recreated each creator’s space in close detail – joining them all together in a single set. As each YouTuber tried their key in the door to their rooms, they discovered the keys were enchanted – taking their audiences on a 20-minute magical journey.

We successfully reached a target audience that is resistant to traditional forms of advertising. BOur livestreams reached more than 1 million viewers watching in real time, with over 98% positive sentiment and more than 15 thousand minutes watched in total. By speaking to a digital-native audience in their language, in partnership with the people they look up to and within the environment in which they connect, our activation successfully translated the key premise of “Locke and Key” and drove audiences to the show.