French TV channel France 3 was ready to launch its brand new TV drama : « La Forêt ». A crime series about a young girl found murdered, and where a whole village becomes suspect. The TV channel wanted to promote this yet unknown series (first season) and create a maximum of attention around it. But how do you generate conversation around this new crime drama, when the market is already inundated with series ?

« I bet he’s the murderer »

We’ve all said that while watching a twist-filled crime drama.

To create conversation about its new series, France 3 bounced on this universal insight and set an interactive second screen experience allowing each viewer to take real bets on the series murderer’s identity. Making La Forêt : the first TV series where anyone can bet on the murderer’s identity.

Developed in partnership with betting platform WINAMAX, the experience included an interactive airing of the series, enhanced by betting odds which appeared on screen and evolved in real time depending on the plot and the character’s actions.

Built for a fictional program for the first time, a unique betting algorithm enabled the viewers to live bet on the murderer’s identity each airing night of the series, on the dedicated website lacotedususpect.fr (mobile & desktop)

With this universal insight (betting on the murderer’s identity while watching crime fictions), we know the idea will instantly catch the media’s attention. The impressive media coverage soon reaches the audience, who naturally brought the investigation and talked about the series onto social medias.

To support the organic buzz, trailers and live posts were placed on both TV and social medias in order to drive the audience to the experience. With a special targeting on series fans and gamblers communities. These trailers and posts also presented characters from the series, with their exact same series’ odds at the moment they were broadcasted.

To create this interactive experience, France 3 built a unique partnership with famous French betting platform WINAMAX. Together they developed an interactive airing of the series, in which the many suspects would appear on screen with their betting odds matching their suspicion level. These odds evolved in real time, depending on the plot and the character’s actions.

Built for a fictional program for the first time, a unique betting algorithm enabled the viewers to live bet on the murderer’s identity each airing night of the series, on the dedicated website lacotedususpect.fr (mobile & desktop)

With its strong gamblers audience, the WINAMAX partnership also helped to drive more and more people to this interactive version of the series.

Launched last November, this innovative interactive experience instantly caught the media’s attention and triggered an impressive coverage. The project has then naturally been brought onto social media by the audience. Ultimately generating more earned media exposure for the series, and one of the TV channel's best audience figures for a fictional program.

• 76.2 million media impressions

• 15 minutes spent in interaction with the experience on average

• 63.5% from mobile users

• 13.4 million viewers in 3 weeks for the series

• +9.5% viewers for the TV channel (France 3) on the month

• 852 winners bet on the right murderer

• 21 014€ total gain