8 Ideas To Go Viral – Learning From the Marketing For Netflix’s Wednesday
Have you been to a Halloween party that had no one dressed up as Wednesday Addams? Bleak chances! The character known for her forlorn, eerie personality has grown on her audience over the years. Well, that was not the only reason behind the record-breaking performance of Netflix’s Wednesday Season 1. Netflix’s ingenious marketing ploy had to share the credit.
Less than a month since its release, Netflix’s Wednesday’s first season emerged as the 2nd most-watched Netflix show. And over a billion watch hours on Netflix days within its release- now that was not an easy feat, was it?
While we have always known the Addams family, now everyone seems to be talking about Wednesday Addams. That’s because the second season of this popular show is here and fans are excited.
What’s behind the magic that Netflix keeps spinning? What is it that marketers can learn from the massive success of Netflix’s Wednesday? Are you ready to hop on board the Nevermore Academy? Let’s explore Netflix’s strategies that kicked things off – that boosted the popularity of the first season and finally some strategies and campaigns driving momentum for the second season as well.
- Netflix’s Wednesday – an Addams Family backstory
- 8 Campaigns & Strategies We Loved About the Marketing of Netflix’s Wednesday Season 1
- 1. Netflix’s Wednesday Poster Sweepstakes
- 2. Nevermore Academy website and more
- 3. When Thing did its thing in New York
- 4. Netflix’s Wednesday on TSA bins
- 5. Netflix’s Wednesday – outdoor promotions
- 6. Emily In Paris cross-promotion
- 7. Set a tone of voice for your brand and adhere to it
- 8. Know where to follow trends and where to prioritize timelessness
- Rebooting With the Promotions for Season 2
- Inspired by the Marketing Finesse of Netflix’s Wednesday, Go Create a Buzz With Designs by KIMP
Netflix’s Wednesday – an Addams Family backstory
The Addams family originally was a comic strip published in The New Yorker. This fictional family was created by cartoonist Charles Addams. The first TV series adaptation was aired in 1964 and the rest is history. Since then there have been TV shows and movies featuring these characters. The Addams Family has slowly grown to become the embodiment of dark humor.
Wednesday Addams is the daughter of Gomez and Morticia Addams. She is known for her signature macabre one-liners and grim expression.
Trivia: Do you know how the character Wednesday got her name? Charles Addams was inspired by a line from the Monday’s Child poem that goes, “Wednesday’s child is full of woe”. Naturally, the character that is a personification of woe and the name Wednesday made the perfect fit!
Netflix’s Wednesday not only lived up to the expectations set based on the previous works of fiction in the Addams Family franchise but also surpassed some of them and emerged as a smashing hit. It was the most spoken-about topic after its opening week. From Reels audio tracks to makeup tutorials in the Wednesday Addams theme, Wednesday was what everyone was talking about soon after the release of Season 1.
What’s the secret behind the success of Netflix’s Wednesday Season 1? What campaigns and marketing strategies were behind all this?
We know “the suspense is killing you” 😉 so let’s dive right in!
8 Campaigns & Strategies We Loved About the Marketing of Netflix’s Wednesday Season 1
Wednesday might be “allergic to colors” but the campaigns sure were colorful. Below are a few campaigns and posts that caught our attention.
1. Netflix’s Wednesday Poster Sweepstakes
Netflix conducted an online sweepstakes for the fans of Wednesday Addams in the US, a few days after the release. And it was announced that the winners will receive official Wednesday posters signed by some of the most popular characters in the movie. The submission and tracking of the contest were entirely channeled through the Tudum channel on the Netflix website.
KIMP Tip:
What did we like the most about this idea? Online contests, in general, make a great marketing tool. They help drive engagement, give a nudge to your conversions, and build memorability too. With the right planning, it also strengthens your brand’s rapport with your customers and wins some loyal customers too.
Another reason why ideas like this work is the use of branded merchandise to woo the fans. Posters are some of the most cherishable branded merchandise options, especially in pop culture. And they help convert movie viewers into fans.
It’s easy to replicate this idea for your brand. After all, online contests and giveaways are quite common on social media. Incorporate branded merchandise and your signature products as the awards and you take a strong step forward in branding and establishing product awareness.
Need help creating promotional graphics for your online contests? Get in touch with the KIMP team.
2. Nevermore Academy website and more
Netflix’s Wednesday marketing created an immersive experience in every way. The dedicated Nevermore Academy website that Netflix created for Season 1 will show you what we mean.
With the school logo to welcome you, this interactive website introduces you to the most popular characters in the movie. Without compromising on the morbid aesthetic that is attached to the show, the website keeps it realistic.
Netflix even posted on social media calling for enrollment at the Nevermore Academy. These are the kind of posts that social media users enjoy interacting with. Grabbing attention, creating posts that people talk about – now that’s brilliant marketing, don’t you agree?
Well, it didn’t end there. Fans could also submit an enrolment form on the website by answering a questionnaire. Several fans shared unboxing videos of their Nevermore Academy box. Inside the box were – you guessed it right – branded Wednesday merchandise of course! Another beautiful feather in the hat of Wednesday marketing.
KIMP Tip:
Good marketing is about creating a wholesome experience for your customers. Crafting unique experiences for your customers will be an effort that pays off.
To do something similar for your brand you do not even need to create a whole website. Even a dedicated landing page for each campaign will do the job. You can customize the landing page to fully suit the campaign theme. From colors to fonts and visuals in it, everything can allure the audience into the world you create for them.
3. When Thing did its thing in New York
Netflix is known for its creative marketing stunts in real-life settings. Of course, Wednesday had to have one too. As a part of this, a live model of Thing, the disembodied hand that plays a pivotal role in the series, was released in New York.
Here’s a video released by Netflix to show the reactions that Thing received.
Thing in New York streets startled some, made some laugh hysterically, and spooked some pigeons and dogs. But one thing is common in all these reactions – the fact that there were reactions. If you get your audience to react and interact with your marketing asset, you make progress. Thing made progress.
KIMP Tip:
Creatively executed experiential marketing campaigns make a huge impact on your audience. They not only strengthen brand awareness but also help spread the word through word-of-mouth marketing.
In several parts of the video, you might have noticed people taking selfies with Thing and recording the whole scene. Where do you think content like this goes? To social media, of course. There’s no better way to win quality leads than getting your customers/fans to talk about your brand on social media.
4. Netflix’s Wednesday on TSA bins
As you stand holding a TSA bin while you travel, whatever your eye catches you tend to remember. If that sounds hard to believe, ask the advertisers who spend time and effort curating designs to feature on airport TSA bins. Why are we talking about this now? Because this idea was used even in the promotions for Netflix’s Wednesday.
If you caught yourself reading the copy in Wednesday’s signature mordant tone, we don’t blame you. That’s the effect the marketing team manages to have on its audience. And that’s definitely a good indicator of successful marketing efforts.
5. Netflix’s Wednesday – outdoor promotions
Creative ads make a bigger impact when you combine them with creative placements too. Netflix sure knows how to do that. Take a look at the sign placed on an elevator for Netflix employees.
And there were billboard signs promoting the show as well. Fans who stumbled upon these outdoor ads for Netflix’s Wednesday took to social media to share their excitement.
KIMP Tip:
One of the best ways to evoke a positive reaction from your audience is to excite them with your content as Netflix does. When customers are thrilled about what they see and experience with a brand they recommend the brand to their friends. Recommendations like these are irreplaceable assets in marketing.
6. Emily In Paris cross-promotion
Another interesting thing Netflix does with the promotion of most of its movies and TV shows is cross-promoting content to expand the reach. For Netflix’s Wednesday this came in the form of Thing attending the Emily In Paris red carpet premiere.
Can marketing get more creative?!
KIMP Tip:
Cross-promotion is a gold mine in marketing. Not all brands manage to achieve the same level of popularity and success with all their products. But even if you have just one bestseller, you can always use the spotlight it gets to build awareness about another product.
You can do this by sending out a targeted email to customers who purchased a bestseller and recommending a product that somehow complements it. Or even woo them with a small discount to use on their next purchase.
Another little trick that we like about Netflix’s campaigns in several places is how it uses Thing as an ambassador for the show. Celebrity endorsements and promotions are a necessity, no doubt. But if you wish to stand out, you need more than just a celebrity – you need an out-of-the-ordinary thing.
Well, this “thing” for your brand can come in the form of a mascot. People love mascots. A study by System1 showed that Fluent Devices (mascots and other fictitious characters created as a part of a campaign) help improve profit gains by 30%.
Don’t have a mascot for your brand? No problem. The KIMP team can create one for you.
7. Set a tone of voice for your brand and adhere to it
When you take your branding seriously, it shows. From the aesthetic on its social media page to the fan interactions that happen there, Netflix’s Wednesday has maintained a strong tone of voice. Every post, every caption feels like something Wednesday Addams would say. That’s another layer of building the character.
The very first Tweet on the official Wednesday Twitter page featured Thing teasing the upcoming announcement.
From there on there has been a distinct consistency in the tone of voice. Even responses to fans maintain this tone. That’s one way to get fans to feel like they are interacting with Wednesday Addams in reality. Such experiences are priceless.
For example, take a look at this Tweet posted as a response to Reese Witherspoon’s reaction to her “Legally Blonde” movie reference in episode 7.
KIMP Tip:
Among the many brand elements you come up with, your brand tone of voice is one of the most crucial details. It helps in defining the personality of your brand and sculpting your brand image. Don’t forget to include details about your brand’s tone of messaging in your brand style guide as well.
As you see from the social media marketing for Netflix’s Wednesday Season 1, your designs and copy should all consistently align with this tone for it to make an impact on your audience.
Another reason why brands find KIMP’s dedicated team of designers to be a handy feature while working on designs. The same designs work on all your design requests. So it’s easier to achieve visual consistency.
8. Know where to follow trends and where to prioritize timelessness
The thing about reviving old characters like Wednesday Addams, is that there are a lot of risks. People are constantly judging. Critics and fans are observing every little detail. That’s why some iconic roles and movie reprisals have flopped badly.
Given all this, how did Netflix’s Wednesday create history? It’s because of the decision of the makers of the movie to single out a character and add more depth to it. It is about preserving the most-loved traits of the character despite the varied suggestions they received. The team was receiving “notes to eliminate all the jokes” that the character is particularly known for.
But since these are known to be definition characteristics of Wednesday, the creators went ahead and retained it. And we know what a massive success that has been.
KIMP Tip:
In branding and marketing, you often find yourself choosing between following trends and sticking with classic ideas. Know when to do what. For example, in a logo, you cannot go with trends. You need a more timeless piece of graphic to represent your brand consistently and build your brand image effectively.
However, when it comes to content for social media, you can always experiment with trends and join popular conversations. There is no hard and fast rule that defines when to follow trends and when not. Do what feels best for your brand and you end up creating a blockbuster.
Rebooting With the Promotions for Season 2
With a solid foundation laid for Season 1 of Netflix’s Wednesday, promoting Season 2 and preserving the momentum for almost 3 years has been a breeze.
Netflix got the ball rolling with the official announcement of Season 2 back in 2023.
Wednesday has been officially renewed for Season 2! pic.twitter.com/ekqlxP9ueW
— Netflix (@netflix) January 6, 2023
So, how is Netflix amping things up with the promotions for Season 2?
The Wednesday Island
Tapping into the effectiveness of immersive experiences, Netflix is organizing a fan festival for Wednesday fans. Positioned optimally between the first and second parts of Season 2, this festival is a great way to keep the suspense alive and keep fans yearning for the second part of Season 2, which is set to be released in September, a month after Part 1.
Additionally, experiential campaigns like this one bring the excitement to the real world and therefore get fans invested more in the franchise.
Investing heavily in content
While the Season 2 promotions have been scaled down in comparison with the massive, large-scale campaigns for Season 1, Netflix has been adopting a well-planned strategy this time. One that relies heavily on the use of content to keep the conversation alive.
From behind-the-scenes clips to videos communicating the stories of the lead characters, Netflix’s social media pages have been buzzing with content that builds excitement.
For instance, this video that takes the audience behind the stage making them fall in love with set created for the show.
Let’s give a round of one-handed applause to the Wednesday set designers. pic.twitter.com/VSH1aIOnAm
— Netflix (@netflix) June 12, 2025
Keeping the conversation alive
Three years is a big gap between two seasons and hence keeping the conversation alive and ensuring that fans return for Season 2 can be a challenge. How did Netflix tackle this? Through well-positioned and well-timed campaigns, of course. Like the Wednesday float at Macy’s 2024 Thanksgiving Parade.
Grateful for the @WednesdayAddams Thanksgiving tradition of inciting chaos and torture #MacysParade pic.twitter.com/uLcPsP7cR9
— Netflix (@netflix) November 28, 2024
The float surprised the fans and got them talking about the show all over again! This shows that timing and placement are two crucial components of marketing.
Inspired by the Marketing Finesse of Netflix’s Wednesday, Go Create a Buzz With Designs by KIMP
Now you know how Netflix used its intuitive out-of-the-box marketing ideas to not just bring an iconic character back to life but also turn her into something of a goth icon who’ll be remembered for ages. If good marketing can make that possible for a fictional character, don’t you agree you can achieve memorability for your product, your brand? With these wicked marketing ideas in mind, we are sure you will rock the stage and set new trends. But then you need the best of designs to support you in the process. But where do you get that? Look no further. Sign up for a Kimp subscription today.
