HBO - IT: Welcome to Derry
IT: Welcome to Derry Street Activation
How do you turn a global idea into something that truly connects locally?
At the end of October 2025 aligning nicely with “Halloween week”, we supported OMD Content & NEON (Sky New Zealand) to bring HBO Max’s global playbook to life in NZ for the launch of IT: Welcome to Derry.
The challenge: Take a simple, eerie concept and generate talkability and intrigue here at home.
What we did:
- 🎈300+ Red balloons across Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch driving social UGC
- 🎭 Coordinated actors in 3 cities to add to the eerie feel
- 🎭 Pennywise surprise visits
- 📦 Influencer PR kits that sparked conversation and social content
- 🎞️Create reels and social content to be posted on HBO and NEON social pages
The result? PR buzz, social chatter, UGC (fans even copied the stunt in Dunedin!), and a lift in NEON subs.
A global concept, reimagined for local culture, proving creativity works best when it connects.
While the broader IT: Welcome to Derry media programme included multiple touchpoints, the activations played a central role in creating the anchor and social visibility that supported the following uplift.
Neon hit their 120-day acquisition goal in only 35 days. The show’s unique viewers in launch week were 30.8% above target.
Pennywise PR Kits
For this campaign, we created a high-impact influencer PR experience designed to build excitement and lean into the eerie atmosphere of IT.
To launch the campaign, we organised an actor dressed as Pennywise with professional make up to personally deliver PR boxes to media outlets. This created a memorable and slightly unsettling moment that aligned perfectly with the tone of the film and generated strong social media engagement as influencers shared the experience.
In addition to these special deliveries, we sent PR boxes to influencers across New Zealand. Each box was designed to create a theatrical unboxing moment. When opened, a helium red balloon floated out of the box, instantly evoking the iconic imagery and eerie feeling associated with Pennywise and the world of IT. The box also contained a light activated speaker, which triggered Pennywise’s laugh as soon as the package was opened, adding a surprise element that amplified the suspense and encouraged influencers to capture the moment on camera.
Inside the box we also included Halloween lollies, tying into the horror theme of the campaign, along with a code for a free NEON subscription, allowing recipients to watch the series and engage directly with the platform.
The combination of theatrical delivery, immersive unboxing elements, and shareable surprises helped create strong influencer content and organic buzz around the release.
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