Paramount+'s “Halo” dramatizes an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant. The original series weaves personal stories with action and a memorable vision of the future, bringing to life the massively successful Halo video game series in a way fans have never seen before.
The objective of the campaign was for Paramount+ to make a splash and stand out as a must-have service for “Halo” game fans and fans of science fiction in general. The series needed a campaign worthy of the massive audience “Halo” accumulated with more than two decades' worth of games.
The immersive “Halo” integrated campaign included the first-ever drone shows over the skies of Austin, Texas, for the SXSW convention, and takeover of New York City's MTA with subway car wraps featuring specialized Halo-themed audio announcements. The campaign also included the aftershow "Halo: The Series Declassified" and a transmedia website featuring the "hacked" computer belonging to a key “Halo” character.
Paramount shared a first look at the long-awaited series during the 8th Annual Game Awards live stream. The First Look Trailer brought fans and non-fans alike into the rich universe of the “Halo” franchise and introduced them to key characters.
The official trailer for Halo aired during the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Cincinnati Bengals AFC Championship football game. While the series’ key art and on-air promotions had previously focused on Master Chief's iconic helmet, the official trailer offers Halo fans a sneak peek at the show’s cast, its heart-pumping action, and its epic cinematography.
Two more cinematic promos debuted in the following weeks leading up to the March series premiere.
Paramount+’s interactive “Halo” website immersed viewers in the world of “Halo.” Featuring character backstories, alien world stats, and unlockable secret content, fans were directed to this microsite through a first-of-its-kind Halo-branded drone light show activation at the SXSW convention in Austin, Texas (the highlight of the integrated campaign), and via coded messaging across Halo’s social postings.
The brand took to the streets and subways of New York City to capture the attention of potential audiences using railcar wrap decals, electronic urban signage, and animated posters, all showing off the familiar iconography and characters from the new series. Some of New York City’s trains featured interior advertising strips in addition to the full-body wraps. “Halo” A.I. Cortana voiced MTA announcements, immersing commuters in the world of “Halo” and urging them to watch on Paramount+.
Alongside each new episode of the series, a new episode of the companion show "Halo: Declassified" aired as an "aftershow," providing additional discussion and content related to the latest episode of "Halo." The aftershow included special interviews with the show’s cast and crew, behind-the-scenes featurettes, interactive content, and sneak peeks at upcoming episodes.
The premiere of the First Look trailer reached an audience of over 85 million video game fans. The unprecedented drone activation was launched in conjunction with a series premiere at the conference and flew a total of six times in different locations across the span of two evenings, generating excitement and buzz both locally and from news agencies across the country. The drone show and the launch of the first two episodes of the series helped fuel sign-up activity for weeks around its March 24 debut. As a result of these marketing endeavors, “Halo” became the biggest premiere weekend both domestically and globally in the history of Paramount+/CBS All Access and the #1 most social sci-fi series across streaming after its premiere weekend.
