Like the original Losers Club, the first season of IT: Welcome to Derry dared fans to return to where it all began and venture further into the darkness than ever before. The series is set in Derry, Maine circa 1962, turning the clocks back 27 years from the hit films. Through our social campaign, we set out to blend 60s nostalgia, die-hard fandom, and the depths of horror.
IT: WELCOME TO DERRY
LOSERS WANTED
To reward our most dedicated fans, we created exclusive New Losers’ Club content using Instagram’s Close Friends functionality. We put the call out on social with a “Losers Wanted” flyer, prompting fans to drop a red balloon in the comments to be added to our inner circle. The post was reshared by Stephen King himself, racking up over 6K new losers looking to be added to the club.
Before each new episode dropped, our Close Friends IG Stories tapped into the experience of looking through a vintage View-Master toy with motion design, shifting as fans clicked through each image. Using a slow build of thematic images, we played into our audience’s fears to amp up the anticipation between each click.
The series began in mid-October and ran through both Halloween and Thanksgiving. So of course, we had to celebrate the holidays in signature Derry style, from Halloween safety tips for trick ‘r treaters to heartwarming holiday videos. We even created a Thanksgiving Day Parade carousel, pulling actual parade photos spanning each 27-year cycle from the series to the Muschietti’s IT films, hiding Pennywise himself in each frame.
HOLIDAYS IN DERRY
THE DERRY HERALD
To immerse fans deeper into the world of 1960s Derry, we created a series of in-world newspapers, The Derry Herald, dropping a new edition after every major event in the series. While we built on the local lore, we also dropped in easter eggs and references for fans of the series and Stephen King to analyze and dissect.
HORROR STORIES
To put the finishing touch on the terror, we launched a series of disruptive Instagram Stories throughout the campaign that felt like they were breaking directly through the phone. From a demonic baby gender reveal (if you know, you know) to red balloons bursting through the UI, no screen was safe from IT.
ECD: Nathan Carver
CD: Bran Moats
ACD/CW: Sammi Chancey
Social Strategist: Emma D’Ambrosio
Designers: Jason Fang, Gyanna Yumping
Motion: Alex Cho
Editors: Annette Rainey, Zac Castellano
Agency: Watson Design Group
Credits