Objective

For the third season of the acclaimed television series, we wanted to find new ways to break through the noise, connect with our target audiences wherever they are engaging in daily life, and ultimately grow viewership for the series overall. 

Strategy

With such critical and awards acclaim, undeniable cultural impact, and a sizable global viewership footprint, there was an opportunity for The White Lotus Season 3 to launch global licensed partnerships across product, promotions, and experiences. These partnerships not only drove licensing revenue, advertising revenue, and additional marketing value, but also helped cement the series’ place in pop culture.

When selecting brand partners, we looked for high-profile and high-end brands that allowed consumers the chance to experience the luxury of the fictional hotel brand beyond the screen. Creative authenticity and brand alignment was key and finding brands that let us tap into fashion, lifestyle, travel, and beauty categories in a meaningful way that matched the series' identity was top of mind. 

A series of over 33 premium brand collaborations reached across the globe in the fashion, travel, and lifestyle sectors and created a luxury lifestyle ecosystem that extended audience engagement. 

• Travel 
  • Four Seasons developed a range of pop-up bars, afternoon teas, and poolside cabanna experiences at locations worldwide. Additionally, they served as a key sponsor for marketing activations in California, Spain, Hungary, and Thailand.  
  • American Express gave cardmembers access to thematic events, Thailand itineraries based around the Season 3 filming locations, and travel guides curated around each of the three seasons. 
  • Away created a limited edition official luggage collection with designs and textures inspired by the third season. 
• Fashion
  • H&M, Banana Republic, Bloomingdale's Aqua, and Camilla created inspired-by collections featuring resort-wear, travel accessories, and vibrant prints. 
• Home 
  • CB2 offered home decor items and furniture that drew on the show' visual identity - patterns, natural beauty, and rich colors helped bring a touch of escapism to fans' own homes. 
  • Nest developed a limited-edition 3-wick decorative candle in a custom cucumber, white sage scent meant to evoke the serenity of the third season's resort. 
• Beauty 
  • Kiehl's crafted a travel skincare kit with a branded tote. 
  • Supergoop! offered a limited-edition travel-ready SPF kit contained in resort-inspired packaging. 
• Food & Beverage  
  • Diageo leveraged Ketel One Vodka and Tanqueray Gin to create luxury cocktail experiences that leaned into the idea of escapism. Signature drinks were inspired by the show's tropical Thailand setting and the brand created custom co-branded content featuring star Patrick Schwarzenegger, promoted the collab in-stores across the US, dropped weekly social content, hosted mixology events, and offered fans a chance to win a trip to Thailand. 
  • Compartes Chocolates created bars inspired by each of the three seasons, including a mango sticky rice flavor for Season 3.
  • Saint James Iced Tea created a limited edition mango black tea that they promoted via pop ups in NYC including at Grand Central Station. 

Results

Brand partnerships helped us take The White Lotus to the next level and make the third season truly unmissable with our programs fueling immersive events, social conversation, and earned media.  

• 6.2 million viewers tuned into the S3 finale. A massive 30% increase from previous series highs. In the U.S. the S3 premiere is nearing 20 million views, with S3 averaging approx. 16 million viewers and growing. While social growth and engagement hit an all time high. 

• 1 Billion social impressions across title and brand handles during the S3 campaign 

• 265% increase in impressions S3 (1B) vs S2 (275M) 

• 757% increase in video views S3 (795M) vs S2 (93M) 

• 295% increase in engagements S3 (32M) vs S2 (8M)

Media