Adam Scott in a cubicle is a familiar site for Severance fans, but this week it was in Grand Central Station for Christ sakes! It's a simple idea that effortlessly captures the surreality of the show, whilst doing the job; telling fans Severance is back, while also intriguing some noobs enough to give season one a shot. Apple TV.
Covid killed the IRL PR stunt but it's boomeranged back and it's in the bareknuckle battle for eyeballs, between the streamers, where we're seeing some of the best examples. Talent often isn't available beyond the premier, so I've picked some highly effective examples that are sans stars.

Netflix are the masters at bringing the world of their shows out into reality, like the 80s shopping mall for Stranger Things and more recently the savage environment of the Red Light Game. They also did a mega rave headlined by the aptly Korean Peggy Gou.

To promote the third season of ‘Ted Lasso,’ Apple launched a campaign featuring handwritten letters from the titular character, displayed on barns, billboards, and schools across the U.S. Each message was personaliaed for players of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, embodying Ted Lasso’s signature positivity. This initiative garnered approximately 2.2 billion PR impressions and $20 million in earned media.

And another by Netflix in which the Lewis Capaldi doc was promoted with an image of unfortunate doppelganger, Liz 'The Lettuce' Truss. This proved once again that a conceptual billboard and clever comms can deliver equivalent media value to an outdoor campaign.

If you want to maximise the value of the stunt here's some of the very basic steps that often get overlooked.

Contact press in advance of sending them the press release with some off the record info. Work with a Press Association photographer, which virtually guarantees picture desk coverage, at the least. Ensure your press release is thorough and contains broader context and content, such as behind the scenes images.

In-world stunts really lend themselves to deeper interactions with fans, so be sure to include easter eggs and clues.Filming a stunt usually doesn't make the best content and so consider other executions for social content, such as involving influencers. Remarketing press coverage on social is a simple way to build anticipation.

And for the love of God let's stop projecting onto buildings along the Thames. They may be big but they're not clever.