The ensuing campaign sold the series by communicating the high-end allure of the park itself via provocative in-world materials that took viewers into the series’ layered world and lurking darkness via print, web, outdoor, social, virtual reality, a chatbot, and more. HBO brought the park to life, creating a subverted travel experience that treated fans as if they were guests planning trips the park itself. HBO also stayed true to Westworld’s spirit of technological innovation by using industry-first advances to challenge the typical user experience: a virtual reality experience, a digital-only A.I. chatbot character and an alternate-reality game.

HBO marketed Westworld using a multi-layered, event-level campaign. Tactics included outdoor media throughout NY and LA; print ads in publications such as Vanity Fair, WIRED and Entertainment Weekly; national and local television spots; 1,200 in-cinema nationwide spots; high-impact digital media including site takeovers and homepage roadblocks across various sports, gaming, entertainment and industry platforms. The in-world campaign broke down traditional boundaries with interactive storytelling. Pre-premiere, HBO targeted those who could afford a ticket to Westworld—the 1 percent—by using custom, high-impact creative across sites inviting users to “begin planning their trip” at DiscoverWestworld.com. At series launch, concierge bot Aeden sparked conversation as part of an ever-evolving alternate-reality game, building and engaging a ravenous community. After the season finale aired, on-air messaging, cast involvement and social media furthered a stunt that extended the finale plot for Westworld’s fans. The evolution continued as Aeden sprang to life on Google Home.

Westworld became HBO’s most successful series debut ever, averaging 12 million viewers per episode—an achievement aided by the dovetailing mainstream and in-story campaigns built around the show. Beyond ratings, Westworld’s influence was felt in the digital universe with 1.4 million visits to DiscoverWestworld.com, more than 1 million fan interactions with Aeden, and more Twitter buzz than any HBO series premiere on record. The media campaign served over 211 million impressions; key promos and trailers garnered 56 million views. Beyond just metrics, Westworld established itself as a driver of cultural zeitgeist, became a television phenomenon and extended the tradition of HBO’s landmark drama series.