Streaming Service Topic Challenges Pandemic-Weary Viewers to Try Something New

Topic, the flagship streaming service from First Look Media, tapped New York creative and media agency Walrus to create its first-ever brand campaign since debuting its service in November 2019. On top of the programming they offer in a variety of genres, Topic is looking to Walrus as they launch this first campaign specifically focused on highlighting their collection of elevated international crime dramas, mysteries, and thrillers - encompassing movies, TV shows, and original programming. The ads target its prime audience of consumers who are looking for entertainment that exists outside the mainstream options.

Walrus has created a series of humorous ads depicting hard-boiled characters from Topic’s extensive catalogue. The ads piece together short snippets of real scenes from the likes of Valkyrien, Pagan Peak, Lambs of God, Arctic Circle, and more - but with mismatched subtitles that serve as a lament about the many things Americans have tried to keep themselves occupied with during the pandemic. The ads end by pointing to Topic as a new option for entertainment and introduce the campaign’s positioning, ‘It’s Criminal Not to Try Topic', encouraging people to sign up for a 7-day free trial.

At the heart of the campaign is a hero 60-second spot, and 30-second spots, that will run across paid digital and social on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and across First Look Media’s owned properties. A series of social and digital ads will also run across the same properties, a selection of which are attached.

“At Topic, we have a great selection of exclusive foreign crime dramas and thrillers. In evaluating our consumer data, we recognised an opportunity to tap into the passionate fan base of this genre and create a focused campaign that speaks directly to them”, said Monica Bloom, VP of Marketing at Topic. “Our approach was to be intentionally playful with the titles knowing that this type of programming is its own kind of escape for our viewers.”

There was no formal review for the Topic business. Topic’s VP-Marketing, Monica Bloom, had worked closely with Walrus in a prior role as SVP-Marketing for SundanceTV.