French thriller premieres underground via metro stop billboards

QR codes on advertisements along metro platforms unlocked the first episode for free viewing

Spotted: The practice of bringing content to the audience rather than the audience to the content took a big leap forward by using underground metro billboards to premiere a new television drama series. French TV channel 13ème Rue introduced its first original series on its online streaming service via QR codes and digital signage along metro routes.

Many key scenes in the series take place underground thereby connecting viewers viscerally with the content in a way that would not have been possible in a typical launch event venue. The amount of watchable material available at each of the participating stops depended on the number of metres each station is located below ground. In order to watch the entire first episode, viewers had to visit multiple metro stops.

The campaign was successful in increasing subscriptions to the streaming service by 35 per cent, with more than 33 million views from commuters. After the premiere, the entire first episode was released on YouTube as a pre-roll ad which garnered another five million views.  

So much creativity requires an interactive element now, as lockdowns continue to force artists of all kinds to work within particularly stringent geographical limits. Recent examples include an augmented reality art exhibition along London’s Southbank and a Nordic retailer that is using football’s VAR to set time-limited discounts on electronics.