Hulu: Now Leaving Castle Rock ARG
A 13-minute, easter-egg-packed livestream that transported fans to an all-new location within the Stephen King multiverse.
Clio Entertainment Awards
Silver Winner - Long Form Social Video
Promax Global Awards
Gold Winner - Best Interactive Promo
2X Shorty Awards
Finalist - Best Use of Streaming Video
Finalist - Best in Entertainment
Webby Awards
Finalist - Best Use of Video, Social Media
The Challenge
Castle Rock had a very dedicated fanbase. The show wasn’t a straightforward adaptation of any one Stephen King story. Instead, it created a shared universe that connected characters, mythology, and ideas from across his fiction—all set in the author’s favorite creepy town in Maine.
Then Season 1 ended, and the mood changed. Fans were frustrated by loose ends and skeptical of the anthology format. Season 2 was about to introduce a whole new cast, in a whole new location.
We had to convince fans that starting over didn’t mean leaving everything behind.
The Insight
Every loose end is an invitation to step deeper into Stephen King universe.
For our armchair detective fanbase, solving the mysteries makes them feel like part of the story.
The Strategy
New universe. Same kingdom.
We put fans in the driver’s seat and turned the journey to Season 2 into an immersive mystery.
The Execution
NOW LEAVING CASTLE ROCK
We scripted and produced a 13-minute night drive through Maine, filmed entirely from the driver’s perspective, and broadcast it live across social.
Throughout the livestream, we hid clues everywhere:
9 audio + 10 visual Easter eggs.
4-digit dates flashing on the dashboard.
A working Town Watch hotline.
An in-world ice cream ad that led to a real-world activation.
Fans had to piece it all together in the comments and on Reddit, unlocking new pieces of the Stephen King universe along the way.
At the end of the road, we rewarded fans with an exclusive clip from Season 2.
Case study video
Results
We present dynamic visual case studies that validate our comprehensive solutions.
Original 13-Minute video livestreamed across social
We scripted radio content to accompany our driver on the 13-minute drive through a dark and windy road in Maine.
We packed the video with 19 audio and visual easter eggs that supercharged fan engagement and set expectations for Season 2.
Fans worked together in the comments section to solve the mystery in in record time.
Results
Now Leaving Castle Rock reinforced the promise that Season 2 would take fans down new roads while rewarding them with even more connections to the Stephen King universe.
The strategy turned superfans into collaborators as they worked across comments and Reddit to decode all 19 audio and visual Easter eggs. In true armchair-detective fashion, they even uncovered connections we hadn’t intended.
Hundreds more called into our working Town Watch hotline as part of the ARG, giving fans another way to dive deeper into the Stephen King multiverse and unlock hidden meaning.
The activation earned coverage on Bloody Disgusting, Bleeding Cool, and Geek Tyrant, and shifted the social conversation to 90%+ positive sentiment ahead of the Season 2 premiere.
1M+
organic impressions
121K
organic engagements on FB
450K
organic views across social
700+
comments across social