Hulu Original mystery-comedy “Only Murders in the Building” follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime, and launch an amateur investigation and podcast when a grisly murder happens in their Upper West Side apartment building, The Arconia. The three suddenly find themselves at the center of a wild true crime story that they set out to solve through their podcast. The chemistry of the lead stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez led the series' first season to receive a nomination for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
Ahead of the season 3 premiere of “Only Murders in the Building," Hulu Originals launched a brand-new live experience at the Goosebury Theatre, the actual theater where the show was filmed in New York City which played host to the third season's mysterious murder.
The Backstage at the Goosebury event featured a slew of interactive events and participant-focused activities. As part of an interactive scavenger hunt, theater patrons were given UV blacklight flashlights to uncover clues related to the season's core mystery. Actual props and costumes from the show were on display, including clothing worn by season three guest star Meryl Streep. Sets including the theater and stage, were present and could be explored as part of solving the event's enigmas. Photo ops with cardboard standees of the cast were placed in the audience, ideal photo ops for social media posts. Professional makeovers featuring Selena Gomez's Rare Beauty cosmetics line were made available to attendees. An interactive play allowing fans to recreate the play from the first episode of the season was a highlight of the event, and an iconic 'murder board' that allowed fans to make their educated guesses (or accusations) rounded out the experience. Free “Only Murders In The Building” souvenir merch was provided after the event.
Hulu Originals’ Backstage at the Goosebury Experience was a success!
The event ran for two and a half days, drawing in 4,350 guests and resulting in 7.5 billion media impressions. The event saw over 61% higher throughput than anticipated (4,350 total) with fans waiting in the standby line rain or shine to get a peek at the experience. Overall, we were able to garner over 6B media and 53M social impressions. Fans absolutely loved the experience, filming and posting every inch of the space, and diving deep into each blacklight clue. We were also able to get 5 neighborhood partners on board, to promote OMITB and the experience. Each location offered special deals and branded items to patrons.
