Clutter Breakers: Is outdoor advertising Netflix's unique superpower?

What is the first thing that comes to our minds when we think of outdoor advertising? Billboards. We see billboards all around the city. Some billboards really stand out for their uniqueness while the rest blend amongst the clutter. Every brand wants to do something innovative and different. But, outdoor advertising does pose a large risk. It’s always a hit or miss situation. Either the ad checks all boxes and stands out or is monotonous, lacks creativity and impact. The thing with outdoor advertising is that the first impression is the last impression. In all the hustle and bustle, it does come down to how attractive the advertisement is. If it isn’t appealing at first glance, then no one will give it a second look.

Outdoor advertising isn’t only just billboards though. There are multiple ways to advertise outdoors. A lot of them go unnoticed because of their bland nature. However, some distinctive ones manage to carve spaces in our minds. A brand that has been very consistent with its diverse and quirky advertisements is popular video streaming platform, Netflix.

Netflix has a brilliant advertising and marketing portfolio. There is no doubt about it. Be it social media, indoor or outdoor advertising, Netflix manages to hit the nail on the head every single time. Innovative, creative, attractive, clever and yet simple.

Recently, one of Netflix’s TV shows, Wednesday broke all records to become the most watched TV show of all time on the platform. The show is about a young girl, Wednesday Addams who tries to uncover a mystery involving her parents while trying to master her own psychic abilities. It overtook shows such as Stranger Things, Money Heist, Squid Game and Dahmer in viewership to claim the paramount spot. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Netflix would come up with interesting and extraordinary ways to promote the show through advertising.

Some of these noteworthy outdoor advertisements recently made the rounds on the internet and left everyone spellbound. The advertisements played along to the theme of the TV show that is a dark comedy horror. The ads involved clever yet slight dark innuendos that were eye-catching and really stood out. Places of advertising included billboards, hoardings, bus stops, subways, airport parcel trays and trains.

If we had to pick one of the ads from this list, we really wouldn’t be able to. The famously axed hand holding on to the support rod in a train to phones being called ‘soul-sucking electronic devices’ everything was incredibly well conceptualised and executed.

This isn’t the first time that Netflix has adopted such fascinating ideas to advertise its offerings. Shows such as Money Heist and Stranger Things too have had incredible advertising.

Netflix has incorporated some of this magic in India as well. For the much-anticipated season four of Stranger Things, Netflix lit up various famous monuments around the country to symbolise the infamous ‘Upside Down.’ The Gateway of India in Mumbai was lit up to mimic this theme.

Moreover, for the popular show Money Heist, buildings in Bandra, Mumbai were painted in graffiti style, featuring the characters of the show.

In the US, Netflix collaborated with fast food joint Burger King to release a special limited edition ‘Upside Down Whopper.’ The packaging of the meal was also done in an eighties' style, in keeping with the theme of the show.

In London, Netflix partnered with The Coca-Cola Company and released a limited unique packaging for the soft drink. There was special design livery on the Coca-Cola can where everything was printed upside down.

Netflix never fails to disappoint us by delivering back to back successful advertising campaigns. Naturally, in an age where the lines between our real and virtual worlds are increasingly blurring, these ads don't just stay outdoors. Typically, these ads go viral online, travelling the world and spreading through Netflix's own international social media web.