“The Most Dangerous Town on the Internet” is an original brand documentary film series created by Norton to make the ambiguous, intangible nature of digital security real.

Blurring the lines between advertising and entertainment, the films put a name and a face to the nameless and faceless perpetrators of some of today’s most malicious online crimes. The goal of the films are simple: to educate, enlighten, and leave our audience better prepared to keep going boldly, not blindly in a world where everything is connected.

Our media strategy focused on developing a highly distributed content model that enabled people to watch the films whenever and wherever they desired. We knew that in today’s saturated content marketplace, simply creating a great films and putting them on YouTube for the world to seek out was foolish.

Working with a leading digital content distribution company, we placed our films in the myriad locations where people seek out this kind of content—namely, iTunes, Amazon, Hulu, Xbox, and Google Play, to name a few. In total, we distributed the films in eight languages to 40 countries.

With our distribution model in place, we partnered with Soho House to accelerate the launch with a series of premiere screenings in Chicago, Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. We invited influencers to generate a groundswell of conversation and PR, which we then amplified with digital video and native content.

Immediately following the launch of the film, we received high praise from a host of influential publications, netting 130 placements in global top-tier media including Fast Company, Vice, The Verge, and BuzzFeed. The engagement strategy fueled record high engagement, and a positive sentiment of 94%, while cross platform distribution generated 4MM+ views.

Most impressive, however, was the impact the films had on the Norton brand. A comScore Site Recruit study revealed that the films “significantly increased almost every reportable metric, especially unaided awareness and positive perceptions of Norton.” More specifically, the comScore study revealed a 220% increase in top-of-mind awareness, a +25.6 point lift in perception of superiority, and a +30.8 point lift in perception of brand value. Ultimately, the effort fueled the first year of positive growth for Norton in a decade.

“This is like watching Mr Robot but in real life” @IrunMon

Blurring the lines between advertising and entertainment, “The Most Dangerous Town On The Internet” is an original brand documentary series created on behalf of Norton by Symantec. The series exposes the real people, and real places behind today’s most malicious online crimes.

The films are produced and distributed as pure-play entertainment. They are directed by top-tier documentary filmmakers Sean Dunne and Academy Award Winner Daniel Junge, and represent the objective truth. The creativity and quality of the films are validated by their distribution to nearly every major streaming platform.

“Make digital security real”

Digital security is a bit like an insurance policy. While most people acknowledge that it’s something they should have, they don’t really know why. They don’t know what the latest threats are, or how to avoid them.

Most people are careening blindly into the digital unknown, reaping the benefits of connected living, naively hoping they won’t fall victim to the threats that come with it.

Our strategy was to take this state of ‘blissful ignorance’ head on, opening people’s eyes to the fact that the Internet had become the new battleground of good versus evil, making the intangible nature of digital security tangible.

The Big Idea:

Use our advertising to educate the world about the modern online threatscape in a way that entertained, enlightened, and ultimately, made people safer.

Situation:

Norton found its revenue being hacked by a widespread misperception as antiquated software from a bygone PC era.

Insight:

There is a fundamental tension between the enabling forces of technology and its potential threats. The technologies that are giving us unfettered access to the world are giving the world unfettered access to us.

As a result, people today need a whole lot more than security software that keeps their computers protected. They need someone to help them make sense of and manage their constantly connected world.

Brief:

Inspire, educate, and arm people with the tools and information they need to take advantage of everything this amazing new world has to offer.

Objectives:

1. Ignite social media conversation. Historically Norton observed low engagement across social platforms (<5%). Goal: 50% increase

2. Increase top-of-mind awareness. Goal: 75% increase

3. Shift brand perception. Goal: +5 point lift across brand attributes