In "Abbott Elementary," a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible educators may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don't love the school district's less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.
For the fifth season of "Abbott Elementary," ABC looked to capture the attention of fans and new viewers across the internet with a social campaign that leveraged the fun, lighthearted comedy of the series and the personalities of the cast. It also looked to defy viewers' expectations with unique social posts that went beyond the usual funny promos to reward viewers for their fandom and give them a reason to share far and wide.
ABC's social campaign for "Abbott Elementary" found viewers in whatever part of the internet they called home. It used social videos to break viewers' expectations. On Instagram, ABC "leaked" the phone number of Abbott kindergarten teacher Barbara Howard, encouraging fans to call and listen to an outgoing voicemail message that teased the season premiere with a series of jokes and callbacks to the show that rewarded them for their fandom. "Abbott Elementary" also delighted fans and viewers when the school (and Mr. Johnson!) appeared in the iconic Roku City, while an in-character video featuring Principal Ava and her boyfriend O'Shon hit a perfect balance between realism and over-the-top comedy.
On Reddit, an "Abbott Elementary" promo video disrupted users' feeds, breaking the fourth wall and capturing the fun, comedy, and chaos of the series in a way that was sure to capture attention.
Throughout the campaign, ABC leveraged the personalities of the cast, as well as their beloved characters. With its "Fit Check" social video, ABC used the clothes of each of the teachers to channel who they are as people with a lighthearted, dialogue-free promo that highlighted the value of individuality.
ABC also used strategic partnerships to reach more viewers and audiences, spreading the word about "Abbott Elementary" through funny, fun, highly shareable posts. A series of memes created by Sunday Scaries combined jokes about office and work culture with perfect stills from "Abbott Elementary," capturing the humor and appealing to the audiences of both. Teaming with Complex, "Abbott" stars Tyler James Williams and William Stanford Davis went sneaker shopping in Los Angeles in a fascinating video, highlighting their sneaker knowledge and digging into their experiences making the series.
With its social campaign, ABC brought fans new content to excite them for Season 5, while it introduced the signature chaos and comedy of "Abbott Elementary" to new viewers across the internet in a myriad of ways.
ABC's "Abbott Elementary" social campaign was a hit across multiple channels, with posts and videos performing well wherever viewers found them:
