A bold advertising campaign takes into account only one thing: relevancy to the consumer and the brand. All other restrictions like rules, patterns, or standards are just obstacles that can be creatively defeated. To promote the new original series The Santa Clarita Diet, Netflix with the help of advertising agency Doner L.A. played on the traditional advertising method using billboards. But, in this case they are more ‘thrillboards’!

Inspired by the fact that “Ideas move people,” the L.A.-based agency created a series of interactive panels for the well-known entertainment company, and amazed pedestrians with a series of DOOH ads in Times Square, NYC. The main theme of the zombie show is presented in an astonishing way: we see actress Drew Barrymore jumping from her one advertising screen to another, on the hunt for ‘food.’ She pounces on her neighbors, killing them, choosing the most delicious pieces for a deadly feast which consists of the limbs of her miserable victims.

Once again, the media company is reminding us that if someone wants to be recognized, they should be brave, in order to snatch reactions from viewers. Prior to the NYC multi-screen zombie campaign, things didn’t work out as Netflix wanted.

According to Berliner Tagesspiegel, as well as reported by Business Insider — while advertising for the gore-oriented show in Germany — the entertainment giant was forced to give up their OOH campaign which depicted a cut up human finger in traditional bloody sauce.

The images clearly resemble the famous currywurst, which is Germany’s symbol of traditional cuisine. The picture was rated by passers-by as a ‘disgusting’ image. Also, some expressed their mixed feelings about such brutal promotion with similar tweets:

From the creator Victor Fresco, the horror-comedy TV show premiered on February 3 and Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant play the the roles of Sheila and Joel Hammond. Both of them are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. Even though it looks like your normal, everyday sitcom about a married couple, things take a turn after Sheila endures a transformation, becoming a zombie that longs for human flesh. Apparently not just in the show, but also in its advertising.

Credits:

Client: Netflix

Agency: Doner L.A.

Zihla Salinas – EVP, Managing Director
Jason Gaboriau – EVP, Chief Creative Officer
Sara Schwartz – VP, Brand Leader
Drew Brooks – Design Director
Lauren Culbertson – Senior Art Director
Ryan Sims – Copy Writer
Sophie Gosseto – Jr Designer
Ariana Delfini – Jr Writer
Sierra Moore – Jr Art Director
Leslie Harro – Producer
Tayo Ola – Content Producer
Anthony Foster – Editor
Production Company: Logan TV
Director: Grady Hall
ECD: Alexei Tylevich
VFX Supervisor: Stephan Kosinski
CG Supervisor: Brandon Thomas
Creative Director: Kaan Atilla
Executive Producer: Matt Winkel
Line Producer: Steve Gould
Post Producer: Dan Lombardo
Associate Producer: Ryan Hitch
Production Coordinator: Joe Mackedanz, Jesse Silva
Editor: Mike Merkwan, James Connelly
Flame: Carl Edwards
Compositor: Robert Hubbard, Jon Sadonsky
Roto: Kyle Hause
Design: Eunha Choi, Eun Kim, Josh Childers, Amy Wang, Alex Hanson
2D Animation: Scott Ulrich, Ivan Cruz
Previz: Brian Weaver