THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Special Project

Special Project
From the 16th Annual Shorty Awards

HBO's The Last of Us Podcast

Finalist in Lifestyle & Entertainment Podcast

Objectives

The Last of Us Podcast is a companion podcast to the HBO Original series The Last of Us that launched on Max. The podcast was created to give listeners more insight into the world of The Last of Us, along with behind-the-scenes details surrounding how and why creative decisions were made in adapting the game to series. The aim was to connect with the audience on a deeper level and provide additional context and content fans of the game, new fans to the show, and everyone in between. 

Strategy and Execution

Over the course of 8 episodes, host Troy Baker and creators Neil Druckmann & Craig Mazin dissect each episode and share insights into their creative partnership in adapting the story for television, while holding true to the themes and beloved characters of the game. With Troy Baker as our host, who voiced Joel in the video game, the three were able to have in-depth conversations around the creation of the series, giving video game fans and new series fans alike, insider access into understanding how and why the series was approached in the way that it was. Guests include Ashley Johnson, who played Ellie in the video game. Each podcast episode was released right after the episode aired on Max, so fans could come to the podcast after they watched the episode, and dive even deeper into the content. The goal in creating this companion podcast was to keep all types of listeners engaged before, during, and after the show aired.  

Results

The podcast saw immense success across a variety of platforms. The show consistently charted on Apple and Spotify’s Top US Charts, peaking at #1, and remaining in the top 50 podcasts for a majority of the season. It was also featured across different podcast platforms. The show garnered nearly 300 press hits across several media outlets like Forbes, Buzzfeed, Ad Age, Vulture and Rolling Stone.

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

HBO

Link

Entry Credits