Hulu was the first streaming service of its kind and entered the scene with a bang and an undeniable edge. But as the streaming wars have continued to get more and more competitive, Hulu was struggling to stand out in a stream of sameness. They needed to go back to their roots, and reclaim the edge they had lost.

The challenge was how to connect emotionally with their target, Pop Culture Thrill Seekers and ultimately make Hulu one of the top streamers by bringing back its edge.

In order to accomplish this the task at hand was to drive brand preference, consideration, conversation and linkage. Not a small task, but we were up for the challenge.

Hulu desperately needed to find a way to stand out. To get back to their roots. And find their edge. We realized Hulu is not for casual viewers. Or even fans. They’re for the Obsessed.

So we created the Hulu Motel. A sanctuary where you are safe to obsess however you want. No questions asked. No judgments made.

This 360 campaign brought to life the strange, slightly off playground for the obsessed. We literally flooded a room for a heartbroken man watching a romance movie. Had a woman shave her head to match her favorite anime hero. Created a bar where Kardashians keeper-uppers could fully embrace their cult together.

Hulu had identified the Pop Culture Thrill Seekers as the target audience but had yet to figure out how to establish an emotional connection with them. Enter the ‘Hulu Effect’ - our strategic platform to convey how Hulu’s curated lineup of entertainment makes you do obsessive things. Only Hulu curates the best of Live TV & Streaming to deliver the unique mix of hi-lo brow entertainment that’ll leave Pop Culture Thrill Seekers obsessed. Obsession is the emotional connection that Pop Culture Thrill Seekers want from their TV: they want to be absorbed by entertainment and left fiending for more. Whether they’re falling deep into fan conspiracy theories, maniacally live tweeting episodes, or processing reality TV breakups like they were their own, these audiences bask in the “obsessed” state that a perfectly curated lineup of TV leaves them in.

We took over Hollywood’s historic Sportsman Lodge, transforming it into a 3 day, multi-room, immersive experience. We rolled out the green carpet to welcome people to this Hulu nirvana. Guests were guided by bellhops played by immersive actors, who could banter about any show. They could kick it in a coffin with a vampire from What We Do in the Shadows, feel like royalty on the throne from The Great with actual costumes worn by Elle Fanning, solve murders like Selena Gomez from Only Murders in the Building, and discover 100s of easter eggs from all their favorite shows or one of many keys that were hidden around the motel that unlocked great prizes. There were 1000’s of instagrammable moments, and tons of interactive experiences hidden around the motel, painstakingly designed with show quality art direction down to every detail. Now people could literally check into their obsessions.

The Hulu Motel event sold out in minutes and had a wait list 12 times over capacity. Attendees had nothing but positive things to say and the event brought net sentiment up to 97% and the rate of positive mentions to exceed brand levels by 8%. Turns out, people are obsessed with being obsessed. And that’s the way we like it.