Saying goodbye to a self-proclaimed legend
and hello to the next big network
and hello to the next big network
Before we could launch a premium network, we needed to bounce a bro. And 2018 seemed like an appropriate time to rebrand a machismo man channel to something with a different set of values and priorities — like big time talent, quality series, and hit movies.
Here’s what we had to do:
Easy, right? Well sit tight, because things are about to get interesting.
We personified Spike — the man, the badass, and the now ex-Viacom employee. And we helped him share all his emotions as he
went through the 5 stages of grief:
Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression, and Acceptance
after Paramount Network fired him. While we created content, wrote copy, and stirred up shit as Spike, we also launched social channels for Paramount Network so we could start introducing their personality in the form of reactive GIFs, witty comebacks, original videos, and experiential events.
Spike broke the news to his followers on Twitter by sharing a link to an article that announced his fate.
While fan and talent reponses began to pour in, Spike wasted no time trying to rally any allies to help him fight the decision made by the d-bag Viacom execs.
Spike knew he had loyal fans who would want to help too, so he released the email address and the phone number of the Paramount Network CMO on social...
oh, and on a huge digital billboard in Times Square.
Spike was done fu%*ing around. He started pummeling Paramount Network with mean tweets that would make Jimmy Kimmel blush.
Both brands traded punches and had people captivated by the non-stop jabs, snarky one-liners, and custom GIFs.
As a sort of olive branch to Spike and his despondent fans, Paramount Network hired some dude to play a therapist and counsel people about Spike’s departure.
Let’s just say his fans weren’t exactly organizing the million bro march in his honor.
Eventually, we had Spike accept his fate and retire. So we sent him on a sick west coast road trip with an itinerary of our favorite Spike-esque locations and fan-suggested destinations around southern California.
We documented his exploits—from lounging poolside in Palm Springs to cruising the Venice Boardwalk for chicks—and turned it all into social content. We shared it all on his channels and even sent some custom postcards to some lucky, adoring Spike fans.
But before he left for good, we had Spike vent everything he’s been holding in over the years. We scripted an entire rogue rant on Twitter where Spike based his own network and made some revealing admissions. In a matter of minutes, the Spike Twitter handle suddenly became a go-to destination.
Fan engagement went up 4,000% and Spike’s cathartic tweets got picked up by 25 media outlets including Entertainment Weekly, Variety, Mashable, AdWeek, Deadline, The Drum, The Wall Street Journal, Fortune, and the New York Post.
After the dust settled from his confessions, it came time to give Spike a final goodbye fitting of a TV legend.
So we sent him off in a blaze of glory—emphasis on “blaze.”
The campaign woke up a dormant fanbase and launched
a network of people who were instantly excited to watch with:
