Following the breakout success of The Batman, HBO Max and Matt Reeves expanded their grounded vision of Gotham with The Penguin, a series chronicling Oz Cobb’s calculated rise to power. Our challenge was immediate. How do you build suspense around a character audiences have already met and fully expect to win?
Our objective was to transform the show’s social presence into a living extension of Gotham itself. Instead of treating X as a promotional channel, we developed an always-on strategy rooted in sharp copywriting and immersive community engagement. Every post was crafted to feel as if it came directly from inside Oz’s organization, observing fans, responding to them, and shaping the narrative in real time.
We built a distinct brand voice that blended mob authority with dry wit, creating an account fans did not just follow but interacted with as though it were part of the story world. The strategy focused on three priorities: establish a must-follow X presence, deepen fan investment through active participation, and turn weekly viewing into a shared cultural moment.
The result repositioned The Penguin from a companion series into essential television. It proved that when platform-native storytelling, disciplined copywriting, and intentional community management align, social does more than promote a story. It becomes part of it.
When The Batman debuted, audiences praised its fully realized Gotham. Fans wanted more time in that world. With The Penguin, our strategy was simple: if the series deepened Gotham, the social experience should do the same.
We treated X as a narrative platform rather than a broadcast channel.
Crafting a Believable Voice
We built a copywriting framework rooted in character psychology. The account spoke with the confidence of a loyal henchman and the awareness of a streetwise insider. Tone emphasized loyalty, power, family, and consequence, delivered with controlled sarcasm. Every post strengthened the illusion that fans were interacting with someone inside Oz Cobb’s orbit (or maybe even Oz himself).
Turning Viewers into Participants
Community management became part of the story. Instead of simply responding to fans, we folded their behavior into the narrative, amplifying theories, memes, and in-character commentary. Fans experienced Oz’s rise alongside him.
Our weekly cadence supported engagement:
We aligned live episode coverage with key narrative beats, delivering real-time commentary and reactive creative that rewarded fans watching as events unfolded. The finale leveraged this approach. When (spoilers) Vic was killed, we leaned into the emotional fallout with in-character posts, including a missing poster, scene captures, and direct fan engagement. These posts amplified the shock and cemented Oz as the series’ true villain.
Platform-Native Copy
Culturally aware, strategic copy drove conversation:
“Let’s be pals.” Responded to legacy Batman villains in real-time, bridging fandom generations and strengthening narrative voice. Tweet Link: https://x.com/TheBatman/status/1835105000093098471?s=20
Through disciplined copywriting and immersive community engagement, the account evolved beyond promotion into a credible resident of Gotham. Fans followed, participated, and treated the account as part of the story world itself.
Our strategy helped propel The Penguin into one of HBO Max’s most watched series while establishing its social presence as a model for platform-native storytelling.
By rebranding the existing @TheBatman accounts into The Penguin, we did more than retain an audience. We expanded it and converted passive followers into an active community that returned week after week.
The impact extended beyond performance metrics. Fans spoke about Gotham as if it were a real place, tracked Oz’s ascent in real time, and treated the account as a canonical presence within the story world. This Clio Award-winning campaign showed that when copywriting discipline, immersive community management, and a distinct X presence come together, social can move past marketing and become part of the narrative itself.
We did not just promote a series. We helped make Gotham feel real.
