Dive Brief:
- Next Games, the creator of "The Walking Dead: No Man’s Land" mobile app, and AMC, the cable network airing the horror series, are aiming to tightly integrate their respective products heading into the show's seventh season, according to a Next press release.
- Players of the "No Man's Land" game will now receive unlockable exclusive weekly content such as new playable characters as they are introduced on the show, along with bonus themes, special cuts and behind-the-scenes video.
- "No Man's Land" already has around 15 million players, and better connecting the gaming experience to the cable series might keep fans more engaged on both ends.
Dive Insight:
AMC and Next have already managed to extend The Walking Dead brand to mobile in a powerful way with almost 15 million active "No Man's Land" users, and directly connecting the live show experience to the game gives it an additional "second screen" advantage when it comes to engagement. As second-screen viewing becomes an entrenched activity, this effort reflects how marketers are looking to take their strategies to the next level.
“A game and a TV show have never been integrated in quite this way before," said Teemu Huuhtanen, CEO or Next Games, in the release.
Marketers can take a lesson from this approach in making messaging and content look and feel more seamless across platforms, including desktop and mobile sites, and also through social media profiles, branded apps and even email.
As the popularity of "No Man's Land" demonstrates, mobile games in particular can provide a huge boost for brand awareness and engagement as they are attention-grabbing and fun, and AMC is hardly alone in utilizing the medium to connect with fans. Earlier this month, Chipotle launched a branded game as an extension of one of its most popular animated shorts, "A Love Story," extending the longevity and reach of an already successful campaign.
