In this series, Agency Correspondent Heather Nicholls takes you behind the scenes of the most compelling brand activations and events, uncovering the creative minds and strategic agencies driving them.
In the first edition, we meet global brand experience agency, Seen Presents, the agency behind Netflix’s Rooftop activation at Cannes Lions 2024.
The brief: “To create conversations not traditional pitches, through memorable and engaging ways by immersing clients in the Netflix universe. Seen Presents also had to prove Netflix has the most variety and quality over any other streaming platform and show that it is an attractive platform for brands to advertise on.“
In response to the Brief, Seen Presents designed and delivered a Netflix Brand world where guests experienced vignettes inspired by some of their biggest titles. The space featured themed zones including.
- An ‘Emily in Paris’ boulangerie featuring branded bread loaves, coffees and pastries transporting attendees into the world of the hit series. By night, this space became a champagne & oyster bar.
- An interactive ‘Squid Game’ dalgona cookie-inspired challenge, within which guests attempted to beat the clocks as they navigated their way around a series of wired shapes without getting shocked, competing against one another for top scores.
- ‘The Gentlemen’ replica set immersed attendees into the world of the hit series whilst encouraging content creation. By night, the space was home to a secret UV experience where guests used torches to uncover hidden messages revealing a code to the safe to win swag.
- A ‘Bridgerton’ zone which was divided into a mini croquet area, a regal style photobooth opportunity and a separate photo moment featuring a fountain and giant swing surrounded by a floral display.
- ‘The Sports Club’ bar celebrated the rising presence of sports on Netflix with an amalgamation of sporting favourites incorporated via decorative imagery and even bespoke flooring, combining various pitches into one design.
- The ‘Senna’ zone featured an interactive game based on F1 qualifying lap tournaments to test reaction times of attendees.
- The ‘Stranger Things’ zone featured prop replicas from the hit series complimented with the iconic Kate Bush track, to create a branded photo moment. Adjacent to this, a ‘Scoops Ahoy’ ice cream bar served up sweet treats to attendees. Seen Presents also created a portal into the upside down, complete with a grandfather clock, flashing red lighting, and an immersive soundscape, as guests left the rooftop enroute to the private meeting spaces downstairs.
The immersion continued into “Late-nights’ where VIP guests were treated to a show stopping appearance from globally renowned DJ, Kaytranada and could enjoy themed drinks and pizzas from a pop-up ‘Surfer Boy Pizza’ shack.
Seen Present’s creative team spent a lot time getting to know the shows in detail so that they would be able to pull out key moments and themes and craft experiences around them that would delight guests.
The agency also worked closely with Netflix’s Events and Marketing teams to ensure synergy between playfulness and strategic messaging. Chris Blaydes, head of creative and design, says: “Once we agree on our approach, we then work with individual title teams to ensure the right stories are being told in the right places.
He adds: “Collectively our team have over 20 Cannes Lion’s under their belts and it was our second year delivering the Netflix rooftop at Cannes Lions, so we knew the level of creativity and immersion required to ensure the activation had talkability. In the development process we always focus on the stories we tell. With Netflix, they have the most captivating stories so there’s such a rich playground for us to develop impactful ideas.”
Historically, the rooftop space has been an exclusive place for Netflix’s clients but last year, they opened the space up to delegates for one of the days. Blaydes says: “Seeing so much surprise and awe from people, and hearing them say that we had considered every detail, was a stand-out moment for us. It’s what we strive for, and it really was special being able to share our work with the wider Cannes audience.”
One of the challenges of this activation was the weather. The Seen Presents team, which consisted of a trusted network of suppliers and a production crew of around 150, had to ensure that they could create a comfortable environment outdoors for delegated.
The agency had to ensure that they were able to make people comfortable in hot weather, whilst also dealing with high winds on the rooftop and shading guests from rain.
In creating these memorable interactions, Seen Presents was able to ensure that the Netflix brand was at the forefront of everyone’s minds as they left.
Blaydes says: “What we lean into is creating B2C-style experiences for B2B clients. The B2B landscape has been shifting for a while, and attendees are looking for participatory experiences, instead of the traditional passive ones you associate at these events. Our objective is always to land key business messaging in a playful way, so that they retain the information.
He adds: “Also, designing experiences that encourage 360 immersion is essential to cut through, so we often look at how we can trigger all the senses, to ensure memorability. From playing the iconic Kate Bush track in the Stranger Things area, to the smell of freshly baked pastries in the Emily in Paris Boulangerie, we ensured every touchpoint was considered, fully transporting guests into a Netflix brand world.”
