The Mandalorian and Stranger Things are among the nominees for the top TV publicity campaign of the year. Both are flagship programs for dueling streaming services Disney+ and Netflix, respectively and were two of the most anticipated TV shows of 2019. The Mandalorian is noteworthy for being the first live-action Star Wars television series, fleshing out the franchise's rich mythology in fascinating ways the films can't always accomplish. Stranger Things just ran its third season on Netflix, setting viewership records days after it premiered.
As the entertainment industry approaches the end of the year, awards season is in full swing. Of course, major bodies like the Golden Globes and the Oscars receive most of the attention, but there are all kinds of accolades to be handed out for all corners of the business. Those in charge of putting together marketing campaigns are set to be rewarded for their work, and now the full list of nominees has been revealed.
Per Variety, six TV shows were nominated for the International Cinematographers Guild Publicists' Maxwell Weinberg Award for Television Publicity Campaign. In addition to The Mandalorian and Stranger Things, Catch-22, Fosse/Verdon, Pose, and When They See Us were recognized. The winner will be announced in February 2020.
The Stranger Things 3 marketing campaign made sure to take full advantage of the show's 1980s setting, tapping into people's nostalgia for that era. From the very beginning, promotional materials were presented in an amusingly retro manner, slowly building up hype for Stranger Things' return after an extended break (season 2 debuted back in 2017). The advertising certainly had the intended effect, as Stranger Things 3 became the most-watched season of the series, totaling 64 million households in the first month. Fans remain very excited for Stranger Things' future, with a fourth season coming through the pipeline. The next batch of episodes wraps next August.
In the case of The Mandalorian, it continued Lucasfilm's tried and true formula of mixing the old and the new to promote Star Wars projects. While the show features all new characters, marketing made no attempt to hide the fact they're heavily inspired by old fan-favorites like Boba Fett and IG-88. One of Jon Favreau's primary inspirations for even creating The Mandalorian was to capitalize on viewers' interest in the classic bounty hunters showcased in The Empire Strikes Back. Obviously, Disney+'s deep library of pre-existing content gave people enough reason to subscribe as soon as the service launched, but the buzz for The Mandalorian also contributed to Disney+'s 10 million registered users. Mandalorian trailers made the show look like a must-see.
Source: Variety