Inside Disney’s ‘Very Intense’ Marketing Plan for ‘This Is Us’ Creator’s Top-Secret Show ‘Paradise’

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SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers from the series premiere of Hulu’s “Paradise.”

In a highly competitive media landscape where numerous shows vie for attention, it’s challenging for any program to stand out. This challenge is amplified when the network or streaming platform finds it difficult to provide a clear, honest response to the straightforward query about a new TV series: “What’s the show about?

Regarding the upcoming political thriller drama “Paradise,” starring Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, and Julianne Nicholson on Hulu, they chose to be truthful, albeit incompletely, prior to its January 28 premiere through TV ads, online promotions, collaborations with influencers, and even aerial advertisements across major U.S. cities. They consistently indicated that the information being shared was questionable each time.

As I chatted with Dan from Disney Entertainment Television, it was evident that preserving the shocking climax of the first episode was a priority. This meant that we couldn’t fully disclose the storyline and needed to safeguard certain surprising aspects. To accomplish this, we opted for a strategic rollout, gradually revealing tantalizing glimpses that highlighted the enigma, the setting, the high stakes, and showcased Sterling, James, and Julianne’s remarkable acting prowess. To heighten anticipation even further, we organized exclusive pre-screenings for influencers, recording their reactions to use in promotional materials and on social media. At this stage, we wanted to confirm that the series indeed contained an unforeseen twist, but refrained from revealing too much more to ensure viewers could fully immerse themselves in the experience.

In the series ‘Paradise,’ created by Dan Fogelman, the story follows Xavier Collins, a Secret Service agent who’s tasked with safeguarding former president Cal Bradford (played by James Marsden) in an idyllic town. Cal meets his untimely end at the start of the premiere, and due to their rocky past, Xavier becomes the prime suspect in the murder investigation. However, a surprising twist is that this entire scenario unfolds within a vast underground bunker, with no initial clarification on why everyone ended up there.

Ryan mentioned that the initial marketing strategy for “Paradise,” a plan his department has been working on for six months, was all about carefully revealing each piece at the right moment. He also highlighted that this plan demanded meticulous management of an extensive and detailed Google document that outlines the release schedule and resources.

In November, Hulu unveiled a sneak peek of the show “Paradise”, attracting 43 million views. The trailer launch in January surpassed this number with a staggering 65 million views. The response was incredibly favorable, causing promotions on platforms like TikTok, Meta, Reddit, and YouTube, as well as TV advertisements during NFL, NBA, and College Football broadcasts.

Before the official launch, team Ryan unexpectedly released the debut episode of “Paradise” on both Hulu and Disney+ a few days early. Initially, they planned to unveil the first three episodes on Tuesday on Hulu, but decided to give fans an early treat. Furthermore, the opening 20 minutes of this premiere were also shared on TikTok for a sneak peek.

On Sunday evening, Ryan mentioned that we utilized both paid and organic strategies on social media to spread the word, and we received tremendous backing from the show’s cast members. Since our episode aired just as the NFL playoff match concluded, there was a noticeable spike in viewership shortly after the game finished. Additionally, social media discussions about our show increased more than 300% following the unexpected release.

The reasoning for our chosen sampling method is straightforward: “If we can let viewers witness the surprising element, we believe they’ll likely be captivated, and what better marketing tactic could there be for a thrilling, suspenseful, action-packed series like Paradise than to let it sell itself,” Ryan explained.

The sampling resumed on Wednesday, as ABC broadcasted the premiere of “Paradise” before FX’s airing on Saturday. Fogelman had actually been editing network versions of the episode in the fall when I interviewed him for this week’s cover story featuring Brown.

We got an incredible 48-minute promotional video, so we devised a smart strategy to broadcast the episode in various locations for diverse audiences. With the help of numerous Disney colleagues, we premiered the first episode on ABC and FX, while making it accessible to all Disney+ subscribers, along with Hulu viewers. This way, we aimed to maximize our audience reach and gather a large sample.

The team is capitalizing on a wider demographic by boldly embracing the significant reunion of Brown and “This Is Us” creator Dan Fogelman, which “Paradise” symbolizes, despite the shows belonging to distinct genres. The NBC family drama was popular for its merit.

Craig Erwich, president of Disney Television Group, emphasized that ‘This Is Us’ resonated with viewers because they felt connected to the characters and experienced something unique and emotional. The upcoming show ‘Paradise,’ while categorized as a thriller, shares this same quality of offering a deeply engaging experience. In our marketing efforts for ‘Paradise,’ we will highlight all its diverse aspects, some in their entirety and others individually. With various dimensions to the series and numerous resources within Disney at our disposal, the scope of our promotional campaign is expected to be quite extensive.

With the secret now revealed, the Disney TV marketing squad can feel free to disclose all their plans, since each episode of Season 1 will be released weekly on Hulu.

Ryan mentioned that our next step is a captivating post-launch trailer which will reveal the secret of ‘Paradise,'” Ryan said. “Our talented cast, who have been strategically planning how to hint at the twist before launch, can now openly discuss this secret post-launch.

Moving forward, the mysterious twist in “Paradise” loses its secrecy, inviting viewers to imagine and predict the series’ direction throughout its eight-episode inaugural season. Now, these fans’ responses to the twist are being incorporated into the show’s promotional strategy.

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2025-01-30 22:17