Everyone wants a taste of the good life, and to promote the debut of “Doctor Odyssey,” a series set aboard a luxury cruise ship, ABC delivered. Ahead of the show’s Sept. 26 debut, the brand launched a multifaceted campaign that plucked people out of their everyday lives and planted them directly into the series’ opulent setting. Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 10, ABC and brand partners like Expedia and Saks Fifth Avenue treated consumers to surprise-and-delight experiences ranging from travel upgrades to shopping sprees, all designed to immerse them in the “upper deck lifestyle.”
The campaign launched with a glam, nautical-themed “blue-carpet” event on Sept. 18 at Bel-Air Bay Club in Malibu, CA. There, cast, executive producers and a host of special guests and influencers were enveloped in a themed interior space that replicated the show’s luxurious cruise ship. They sipped on curated cocktails and mocktails, played casino games and indulged in seafood bites.
Following the premiere event, ABC focused its efforts on engaging consumers and driving viewership by delivering aspirational, “dream-worthy” upgrades when they least expected it.
“We set out to build a really breakthrough campaign for ‘Doctor Odyssey’ that would achieve both mass scale as well as a sense of excitement in the marketplace, resulting in a huge cultural moment for the show leading into its launch,” says Laura Lovas, vp-strategic partnerships & events at ABC Entertainment. “It’s an exciting time for experiential marketing, especially as viewers are consuming content across more platforms than ever. And it was a key lever that we pulled throughout the campaign, as we worked to break through in unexpected ways.”
Indeed, the brand evoked the “Doctor Odyssey” lifestyle across every campaign touchpoint while leaning on “trusted” partners to lend credibility to the program. As Lovas puts it, ABC took the concept of luxury upgrades and put it on “turbocharge.” Think: Upgrading passengers from an UberX to a trip in a shiny Rolls-Royce; whisking coach travelers away from airport lines and into their own private jet; swapping out standard hotel rooms at the Rosewood Miramar in Santa Barbara for oceanfront suites; transforming pizza date nights into romantic Michelin Star meals; and taking fans out of the nosebleeds and onto the 50-yard line at a season opener football game.
But wait, there’s more. How about brand ambassadors dressed as luxury cruise ship officers surprising consumers at high-end retail destinations The Grove, The Americana and Palisades Village with shopping sprees, complimentary champagne service, private dining experiences, luxury grooming and personal styling sessions? Or working with 12 trendy hotels around the country to take over resort pools with luxe navy- and white-striped towels on every lounge chair, branded bags filled with high-end water and snacks, and self-care items like sunscreen and personal fans? It was all on the table. Even smaller perks, like redeeming an Uber Eats offer of $9.26 (representing “Doctor Odyssey’s” Sept. 26 premiere date) or being upgraded from Uber X to Uber Black, gave participants a glimpse of the upper crust lifestyle.
Tastemakers were another key aspect of the strategy. The brand forged partnerships with #DocTok and cruise influencers—creators that double as doctors, nurses and cruise experts—to help authentically showcase the “high stakes at sea” scenarios depicted in the series.
Influencers were also enlisted to amplify ABC’s partnership with Saks Fifth Avenue. The network worked with the luxury retailer to take over its iconic window displays at the 5th Avenue flagship store with scenes from “Doctor Odyssey,” including authentic props and costumes, then recruited content creators to tour the windows and spread the word. The Saks partnership additionally featured one extravagant grand prize that encompassed a trip for two to New York City, a $10,000 designer shopping spree, spa treatments, fine dining experiences and a cash prize to help fund the winner’s dream cruise.
Ultimately, the surprise-and-delight program yielded ABC its biggest drama series launch in four years, a consistent spot on Hulu’s Top 15 and continued viewership growth across platforms. But for Lovas, the amount of talkability and buzz the campaign elicited is the greatest measure of success.
“When you put a potential viewer directly into the action, they are inevitably going to see the world of ‘Doctor Odyssey’ with new eyes,” she says. “They are no longer passively consuming the storytelling of the series, but they’re now living it. So instead of feeling sold to, they’re now invested, and that emotional connection with the brand can be what builds the greatest affinity, word of mouth and, of course, active viewership, now that ‘Doctor Odyssey’ is out there for the world to see.”
Inside the ‘Doctor Odyssey’ Campaign:
Photo credit: Frank Micelotta
