Set in an idyllic waterfront town in the Pacific Northwest, the next chapter of Cruel Summer follows the rise and fall of an intense teenage friendship. Approaching the story from three different timelines surrounding Y2K, the season twists and turns as it tracks the early friendship between Megan, Isabella and Megan’s best friend Luke, the love triangle that blossomed, and the mystery that would impact all of their lives going forward. The main objective of Freeform’s Cruel Summer Season 2 Tumblr Campaign was to create a unique digital experience, expanding the world of Cruel Summer beyond our main marketing channels, and onto a nostalgic digital space.
We launched an entire Tumblr homepage takeover with Cruel Summer branding and a 1999/Y2K feel. This digital Tumblr campaign included the homepage takeover inclusive of the Tumblr logo itself, a revamp of the Freeform Tumblr page, and social content driving fans to stream Cruel Summer Season 2. Custom throwback content and exclusive clips featured on the main Tumblr feed and show channel gave fans a reason to come back for more, and created buzz around newer episodes. By tapping into this nostalgic social platform we were able to unlock a fan base that helped further awareness and excitement for Season 2.
Freeform’s Tumblr Takeover on Cruel Summer Season 2 surpassed all expectations by garnering 21MM impressions, a 209% over-delivery for the campaign. The takeover on the main page had 166%+ toggle activations vs. deactivations which highlights the love users had for this campaign. The campaign also generated a 765% spike in conversation for the series on the Tumblr platform.
