Overall, the creative idea was to introduce the show’s jarring, dystopian themes of subjugation and oppression in an unexpected - and otherwise comfortable - setting. In doing so, Hulu took a low-tech approach by finding a way to create an emotional connection with press/influencer participants, to be disruptive, and to start a conversation. Hulu sought to capture press attention using the techniques of street theater, directly engaging industry professionals and the public with a memorable live activation. Hulu planned to reach out to press only after the stunt began to elicit conversation on social media, and curiosity among SXSW attendees.

Hulu didn’t put up billboards or plaster walls with posters boasting of the show's star power. Instead, it did something much more subversive. Hulu enlisted an entire army of handmaids to walk the streets of the SXSW conference.

The handmaids wandered the city wearing the emblematic red, long-sleeved dresses and eye-catching, white, bonnet-style hats. It's the uniform of the handmaid, an indicator of their social captivity in the fictional land of Gilead, existing solely to reproduce and stay out of sight.

They walked in pairs, silent, eyes averted - a disorienting sight in the freewheeling atmosphere of the conference. The show's official Twitter account instructed anyone who encountered the handmaids to ask them, "Should we walk by the river?" In essence, it was a covert invitation to join the resistance.

Press and social reaction was overwhelming for this activation. Hulu had hit a nerve, and suddenly, the world was watching. With two other activations (in New York City and Washington, D.C.), Hulu fed the flames.

But the most exciting part was that the red dresses began to spring up spontaneously - as part of protests, as memes, as fan art. This analog activation at a tech-forward festival had tapped into something bigger. As the iconic visual identity of the show spread so did identification with its themes. One line from the show summed up the sentiment: “They should have never given us uniforms if they didn’t want us to be an army.”

“The Handmaid’s Tale activation at SXSW is perfect and appropriately terrifying”

--Bustle

The Handmaid’s Tale contributed to the following business outcomes for Hulu:

-Over 17 million subscribers

-Over 54 million total unique viewers

-The Handmaid’s Tale joined network juggernauts This Is Us and Law and Order: SVU as the top 3 dramas on Hulu.

Accolades

Winner 2 Golden Globes including Best Television Series - Drama

Winner 8 Primetime Emmys including Best Drama and Best Actress

Winner Peabody Award