Case Study: How Branded Content Created Hype and Extended Reach for Netflix’s Pub Activation

Brand Overview and Campaign Goal

Netflix sought to generate mass awareness and real-world foot traffic for a unique activation in Melbourne: the Who’s Watch Inn, a Netflix & Chill themed pub. The aim was to amplify the investment Netflix had already made in the experience by reaching the right audiences at scale—before, during, and after the event.

Audience Challenge

In today’s saturated entertainment landscape, even an iconic brand like Netflix faces challenges in cutting through. For this activation, the challenge was two-fold: ensuring people not only knew about the pop-up pub but felt compelled to visit it. With limited time and a physical location, building urgency, local love, and cultural buzz was essential to drive maximum impact.

Why Branded Content Was Essential

A multi-publisher approach gave Netflix the ability to connect with different audiences through trusted voices on the platforms they engage with every day. Rather than relying solely on traditional paid channels, Avid engaged multiple lifestyle publishers to tell the story of the pub in different, authentic ways—building curiosity, excitement, and a sense of FOMO. This approach enabled both cultural credibility and reach.

Content Strategy and Approach

The strategy centred on driving mass reach and engagement through two distinct campaign phases:

• Phase 1:  Build hype and anticipation ahead of and during the launch with long-form publisher articles, teaser videos and social posts. The tone was bold, fun, and culturally in-sync, designed to make audiences think, “I can’t believe Netflix is doing that.”
• Phase 2: Extend the buzz post-launch using social-first video content and UGC-inspired storytelling to showcase the activation experience and build brand love—even for audiences who couldn’t attend but still wanted to be part of the hype. 

Content was syndicated across publisher platforms to ensure scale and personalisation. Publishers created a variety of assets, from editorial explainers to Instagram reels, tailored to their unique audience profiles.

Multi-Publisher Execution

Content was published across publisher channels to maximise scale while staying true to each masthead’s unique voice. From cultural deep dives to scroll-stopping reels, each asset was tailored to reflect the publisher’s audience and tone.

• Time Out gave readers the insider scoop and sparked FOMO among Melbourne’s culture-seeking crowd.
• Boss Hunting highlighted the cool factor of the activation, drawing in premium, experience-loving audiences.
• ELLE added an editorial lens focused on culture and design, expanding interest to a stylish, female-skewed demo.
• Urban List used Instagram reels and visual storytelling to drive social chatter and shares.

This publisher mix ensured high cultural relevance while capturing diverse audience segments, from pub lovers and foodies to Netflix, streaming fans and pop culture lovers. 

Results and Impact

While performance metrics remain confidential, the campaign exceeded expectations across all KPIs. Content was shared, talked about, and organically extended beyond paid placements, with many viewers tagging friends, making weekend plans, and reacting with real excitement. Publishers observed notable spikes in social engagement, particularly through comments, shares, and tags as audiences invited friends to attend or reminisced about the activation.

The campaign’s success was further validated by Wavemaker’s Group Strategy Director, Claire Riding:

“In today’s fast-paced environment, the old ways of working simply won’t cut it and Avid is at the forefront of change. We saved significant time and effort working with multiple publishers.”

Conclusion 

This campaign proved just how powerful branded content can be when it’s strategically executed. By tapping into trusted publisher voices, Netflix was able to cut through the noise and create a cultural moment that felt local, relevant, and shareable. The phased content approach ensured sustained attention, while the variety of formats matched different audience behaviours—from hype-driven Netflix fans to curious first-timers.

And with Avid managing everything through a single point of contact, Netflix and Wavemaker could scale personalisation, streamline execution, and ultimately turn a physical activation into something much bigger: a brand experience that travelled far beyond its four walls.