Season 2 of Severance came with a positioning problem most franchises don't face. Season 1 had built a fiercely loyal fanbase and a creative identity unlike anything else on TV. Our job wasn't to introduce the show, it was to grow the audience without losing what made it work. That meant protecting spoilers from both seasons while still making the campaign land for viewers who had never seen the show.
Apple asked us to develop a Season 1 re-engagement strategy: read market sentiment, identify what resonated most, and package that insight into a recap piece that would bring previous viewers back and pull in new ones.
Once they saw our strategy packaged in a trailer, we were awarded the full Season 2 campaign.
When we were building the Season 2 Trailer, we leaned into what already worked: the Innie/Outtie duality and the retro corporate aesthetic, and layered in a custom music cue that grew more fractured as the spot progressed, mirroring the way the show presents itself.
The emotional payoff from our Season 2 Trailer was huge. What fans had loved... returned.
"I can't wait to watch a 2 hour video dissecting every second of this trailer."
"We're gonna have to watch that again." -John Locke
"IT LOOKS SO GOOD WE'RE BACK BABY"
"there are tears in my eyes I'm so so so excited"
The TV campaign ran on two tracks, each with its own set of broadcast spots.
Deepen the story, expand the mystery, and reward the audience equity Season 1 built.
We used the show's employee handbook as the literal brief for a razor ad, turning brand copy into in-world canon.
We imagined what the Lumon hiring process would look like for Innies and Outties, extending the world into the partner's product.