Advanced Television

Uma Thurman fronts Paramount+ UK launch campaign

June 17, 2022

Paramount Global will stage what it has called “its biggest and most ambitious marketing campaign in the UK” throughout the summer, to herald the launch of its new streaming service, Paramount+, in the region.

Paramount+ will be available in the UK and Ireland from June 22nd. The launch line-up will include exclusive originals, blockbuster films from Paramount Pictures and a wide selection of Paramount’s most iconic shows, including the sci-fi smash HALO, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, The First Lady and kids’ favourites Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and PAW Patrol: The Movie.

An advertising campaign starring Uma Thurman will see the Hollywood star give viewers a peek behind the iconic Paramount mountain, to introduce them to the line-up of stars and titles heading to the service.

On television, the spots will be placed around peak time programming on a range of commercial channels, including Channel 5 and its digital portfolio, as well as broadcasters’ VoD services and YouTube.

On cinema screens, the adverts will take premium positioning around some of the most anticipated films of the summer, such as Elvis and Thor: Love and Thunder.

Additionally, Paramount will leverage the reach of its owned and operated platforms in the UK and Ireland to cross-promote Paramount+ content on its free-to-air and pay-TV channels, including Channel 5, MTV, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon as well as the streaming services My5 and Pluto TV.

Launch night will see Channel 5 air the opening episode of one of the biggest hits on the streaming service under the banner ‘Paramount+ Presents – HALO, with viewers encouraged to watch the rest of the series on Paramount+.

In a kind takeover of London’s West End, Paramount will transform the capital’s entertainment district into an homage to its stars, hit shows and entertainment brands. Augmented reality-enabled signage around all major installations will enable fans to interact with Paramount+ content and sign up for the service.

In partnership with Heart of London Business Alliance and Westminster City Council, a variety of large-scale installations and pop ups will include:

  • The Walk of Stars: The streaming service’s answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame will see more than 50 illuminated stars hung above four West End streets to honour Paramount superstars including Sylvester Stallone, Gillian Anderson, Michelle Pfeiffer and Viola Davis, alongside hit titles like Transformers, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Scream.
  • Paramount+ Experience: A pop-up space in Piccadilly Circus will allow fans to immerse themselves in their favourite films and shows through replica sets, memorabilia, stunt experiences and other opportunities for social amplification.
  • ‘Leicester SquarePants’: Leicester Square will be transformed into Leicester SquarePants, with the beach loving Bikini Bottom resident pitching up in his pineapple home and serving up Krabby Patties and other surprises.
  • ‘Sheridan Street’ makeover: Irving Street will get a Wild West makeover, to honour some of the shows and talent from the Taylor Sheridan TV universe, including Yellowstone and 1883.
  • HALO installation in Piccadilly Circus: Adding to the invasion of the West End, London’s streets will also bring visitors face-to-face with a spectacular scene from the sci-fi hit HALO.

In addition, the Piccadilly Lights screen will feature an extraordinary HALO 3D anamorphic display to complement the large-scale installation on a nearby pavement.

A widespread OOH campaign will also see talent and programming from Paramount+ highlighted in premium, high-impact sites nationwide, including London’s Storm Cromination and the main commuter corridor at King’s Cross Station.

Across the country, prime digital displays have been booked at major travel hubs and shopping centres in major cities, while the transport network will see buses and trams wrapped in the hero shows from the streaming service.

Additionally, Paramount+ will stage a drone show in Hollywood, Birmingham, one of the biggest ever seen in the UK, in partnership with Sky Magic. Plus, a projection of the famous Paramount mountain will be displayed on the lastminute.com London Eye.

Anna Priest, Chief Marketing Officer, UK, at Paramount said of the campaign: “We’ve launched an exciting, ambitious and far-reaching campaign to match the scale of the offering on Paramount+. This campaign is about unleashing the power of our brand and content to local audiences and is the biggest we have ever undertaken in this market. It blends the impact of mass-reach mediums with cutting edge new experiential technologies, like our AR-enabled Walk of Stars in London, the Drone Show in Hollywood, Birmingham and the anamorphic HALO display on Piccadilly Lights. We want visitors to our experiential wonderland to be surprised and delighted by the opportunity to interact with our mountain of entertainment.”

The overall campaign was devised and overseen by Paramount’s Marketing, PR and Creative teams in the UK, in partnership with US colleagues and with support from agency partners, namely, Glass Eye for social media creative work; creative agency New Commercial Arts (NCA); New Stance for influencer marketing; Premier PR for consumer comms & event support, and media agency Wavemaker.

Priest continued: “Our agency partners have brought an abundance of creative ideas and unbridled energy to this project. Each one has worked as an extension of the team here at Paramount and that collaborative approach has been vital to the success of the overall execution of the campaign.”

Users will be able to sign up to the service for £6.99 (€8.30) per month/£69.90 per annum in the UK, after a free seven-day trial. Sky Cinema subscribers will get the bonus of Paramount+ included at no extra cost.

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