Battle of the Streaming Platforms
by Casey Binkley, CEO at Movia Media
There have been industry winners and losers of the pandemic, but it would be hard to argue when it comes to those that benefitted, online streaming platforms have walked away with the crown. With people staying inside in record numbers over the past year and a half, the transition from traditional cable to online streaming, which we had already began to see prior to the pandemic, has been expedited tremendously. Screen time went up by a third from 2019 to 2020 and time spend on streaming services doubled in April 2020. Not to mention, video streaming generated annual revenue of close to $26 billion.
With subscribers increasing by the millions, new players are flocking to the industry for their chance to compete. With this surge in competition comes a slew of creative and impactful advertising campaigns to bring attention to the new shows and services. Let’s take a look at some of the most outstanding out-of-home (OOH) campaigns some of these platforms have implemented to keep loyal viewers engaged and gain new fans.
Netflix: *Not* Spoiling Their Own Shows to Keep Viewers Home
It’s impossible to mention streaming without acknowledging the industry’s founding father, Netflix. However, this clever campaign only appears to be an ad for the platform, when in fact, the “spoilers” were meant to draw attention to the importance of the stay-at-home orders in early 2020. Billboards scattered around Hamburg, Germany gave away the endings of people’s favorite shows like Narcos and Love is Blind, acting as as warning to Hamburgers to stay home, while at the same time, spreading affinity for Netflix.
Tubi: Calling Out Netflix In Their NYC Campaign
Tubi’s tongue-in-cheek campaign took advantage of Netflix’s price hikes as an opportunity to advertise their free video streaming platform. In their biggest PR stunt to date, the campaign generated 353 press stories, 757M+ impressions, and coverage including Adweek Editor’s Pick, LA Times Business section cover story, Variety and a broadcast segment on EXTRA. Additionally, the billboards generated 17.4M total video views (paid + organic), exceeding the company’s 10M view goal.
Crave: The Crave Hotel
Crave, a Canadian streaming service, went experimental in one of their latest OOH campaigns to capture new customers for their rebranding. Transforming Toronto’s iconic Broadview Hotel into the “Crave Hotel”, people got to step right into rooms and event spaces throughout the hotel, themed after some of the shows (and now movies) carried by Crave. With high-impact digital billboards adorning the building, and an omnichannel campaign to further promote the event, customers were able to immerse themselves in their favorite shows and movies.
Wrap-Up
The advertising industry has always been a battleground. Over the years, we’ve witnessed epic showdowns like the burger wars, cola wars, and now – most recently – the streaming wars. Historically, these rivalries have led to some of the most creative advertising campaigns, and streaming service providers are no exception. As new services step into the running to become the latest and greatest, our eyes will be peeled for the tidal wave of inventive OOH campaigns to come.
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