HBO has a long history of programming that is deeper, richer and more unexpected than any other network’s. They needed an integrated campaign that reflected their unique brand of storytelling, spoke to fans and nonfans alike, and cemented their position as leaders in creative storytelling, while encouraging people to connect deeper with the brand.

Our solution was a multiplatform campaign themed, 'It’s more than you imagined.' Each piece of the campaign worked individually, delivering 'It’s more than you imagined' in a compelling way. Simultaneously, all the campaign pieces worked in concert with the others, serving as a part of a larger narrative, which could be experienced on the campaign website. When the content (Web, TV, OOH) was viewed in this second context, they were seen differently, presenting them as part of a larger story, and changing people’s understanding of the story as they watched more and more content.

The multimedia push created much buzz and excitement. The 14-foot cube appeared in three major cities. Thousands of people turned out for all three Cube events. The events were well attended and drove hundreds of thousands of unique visitors to the campaign website – with 70% of users recommending it to friends. Subscriber and nonsubscriber impressions of HBO as 'innovator' rose over 30 percent, and The New York Times said that the Imagine campaign set a new bar in interactive fiction.

The campaign included television commercials, Web films, expandable video banner ads, direct response pieces, and a first-of-its-kind four-sided outdoor film event. Each element delivered the 'It’s more than you imagined' message on its own, and directed consumers to the campaign’s interactive website experience, where the aforementioned content was presented in a new way, as interconnected scenes from a larger narrative story. In this way, the campaign elements became 'It’s more than you imagined' once again. This campaign worked in innovative ways to deliver the message, and whether people watched a single spot, or uncovered the entire web of content, they realised that with HBO there’s always 'more than you imagined.'