Spilling across fan wikis, podcasts and tie-ins, today’s stories are bigger than the sum of their parts. While this isn’t exactly new; the Star Wars franchise has famously spanned not only movies, but also games, comics, novels and several TV series. But the vast array of digital channels and a hunger for content has ushered in a new era of transmedia storytelling.

Transmedia works well as a means of both getting viewers into the world or keeping them inside it. This was the strategy behind “Stories to Go to Bed,” a salacious and seductive podcast that expands the world of Netflix’s new thriller series, Dark Desire. The podcast was produced by both Circus, which merged with MediaMonks early this year, and podcast production company Archadia Media.

By redefining the “bedtime story” for an adult audience, Netflix wanted to not only make the show’s promise clear to new viewers, but also make people feel connected to the show’s world through a little bit of extra content. “The brief was: how can we expand the experience of watching this show, not only in the streets but in how people consume everyday content?” explains Yaneth Velázquez, Global Head of Client at Circus, noting that the standard approach of out-of-home activations had to take a backseat due to the pandemic.

“It was very interesting to extend the show’s universe,” says Sofía López, Sr. Creative at Circus. “We were creating fiction upon a fictional story. For Netflix fans who always want more from their favorite show, this was like a gift for them.” The team aimed to seduce fans with a provocative podcast that highlights the show’s trademark erotic intrigue, narrated by some of its ensemble cast, including Maite Perroni, María Fernanda Yepes and Alejandro Speitzer (Erik Hayser also makes an appearance in Fernanda’s episode).

Each is well-known for their previous roles in telenovelas—and what could be more enticing than listening to a favorite actor or actress whisper in your ear? Not much apparently, because the modern take on the radio play—best enjoyed with headphones, preferably with candles lit—has proved incredibly popular with audiences. The series quickly rose to the number one spot on Spotify’s Top TV & Film Podcasts chart for Mexico.

Since then, the podcast has been fully downloaded over 70,000 times and continues to be relevant almost four weeks after its release with around 300 people listening to it daily; its impact was concentrated mostly in Mexico, but LATAM countries like Colombia, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Brazil enjoyed the podcast as well. It also deserved a shout-out from “Escandala,” the largest LGBT+ news platform in LATAM.

Take an Insight-Driven Approach to Transmedia

When it comes to expanding a narrative, there are so many channels available: mobile games, web platforms, side series and more. How is a brand to choose—and why did Netflix ultimately decide on a podcast for Dark Desire?

After Netflix identified its target audience, its media agency brought together a list of insights on what resonates with them. “They pointed out that the audience loved listening to radio and podcasts during the morning and at night, once their children were at school or asleep,” says Israel Rojas, Content Lead for Title Marketing at Circus. “That was the moment they had for themselves, so we decided to let the idea live in that space.”

The project’s success shows the benefit of having a media and creative team work so closely together. “Instead of us coming to the media agency with ideas, we request their insights first, and then we start thinking with those things in mind,” says Velázquez. “In this case, this is where the audience is consuming the most content. We needed to appeal to what they enjoy, even if it’s not in the place you would first expect.”

The format also allowed for added learnings and data. “The podcast got more than 60,000 downloads, so it’s interesting to consider how many are downloading to listen to it later when they’re alone,” says Velázquez. “These consumption behaviors are new, if audio hasn’t played a role in your strategy before.” Data from Spotify also provides insight on the audience’s musical taste, which can further enhance creative collaboration or targeting.

Enable Collaboration Between Agencies and Showrunners

The podcast is valuable for offering fans a space to linger intimately within the world of the show—which means the show’s characters must be portrayed authentically. In creating a series of exclusive storylines, the Circus team worked on the podcast’s script, taking inspiration from the show’s dark and erotic themes. “We had the idea that everyone has a dark desire and something to hide,” says Rojas. “We created three stories that people won’t see in the show to expand the narrative—three moments to give the fandom something extra.”

The idea was discussed with the showrunner of the series, who trusted in the project and gave some interesting thought starters for the story. The final scripts were approved and greenlit by the Netflix Content team, but the Circus team was still anxious about what the actors would think: “There was a chance they would read the script and say ‘no’ because they would have to awkwardly moan and recreate sexual scenes, but they read it and loved it,” says Rojas.

“It was a challenge to capture the same eroticism of the show without using footage,” says Elizabeth Beltrán, Creative at Circus. “We let the user’s imagination complete the journey.” But for Rojas, this experience became hilarious: “There’s nothing like spending an hour recording an actor making moaning noises,” he says with a laugh.

Differentiate in the Medium to Heighten Immersion

With actors spread apart internationally and due to restrictions from the pandemic, the team had to get creative in how it would record each episode: one actress recording her episode from her car and another from a closet. “Ideally, you would record everything in a studio using the tech there, but we got scrappy and made it work with a premium sound quality.”

One way they boosted the listening experience was through binaural recording, which uses two microphones rather than one to create 3D stereo sound (if you’ve ever watched an ASMR video wearing headphones, you’ll know what it sounds like). This recording method resulted in a fully immersive listening experience—and gives listeners another reason to pick up their headphones besides privacy. “We invite people to listen with headphones while they’re listening to this 360-degree experience,” says Velázquez. “You might think that audio-only is an ancient way to tell a story, but we try to bring the full experience out of it.”

As entertainment franchises continue to extend beyond a single channel or stream, brands and their partners can deliver irresistible, seductive content driven by consumer audiences and insights. This way, brands are primed to engage better with audiences across channels in new and more immersive ways—and satiate their audience’s craving for more, no matter how forbidden.

Whether you celebrate in June, July or in other months based on where you are in the world, this year’s Pride comes at an interesting time: its 50th anniversary intersects with shelter-in-place orders and protests around the world, particularly in the United States where the Pride marches began. These events prompt a more reflective look at Pride and what it means to members of the LGBTQ+ community—and to the contributions that brands make to the movement.

For example, how long should you keep your rainbow-infused logo? How does your commitment to LGBTQ+ equality translate to more meaningful action than a visual cue or a limited-release product? Consumers support brands that truly show up and act in support of social movements and societal needs, recognizing those causes are sincere drivers of the brand—and Pride is no different. Highlighting recent work from Netflix and Circus Marketing, which joined MediaMonks earlier this year, we’re taking a look at how brands can drive real support during Pride.

“We wanted to stand up to say something we truly believe: this is not just a day, Pride is a lifetime,” says Pablo Miranda, Sr. Creative at Circus. “Our goal for Pride Day was to celebrate and highlight stories that prove Pride is bigger than 24 hours. Instead of just talking about the LGTBQ+ Netflix shows, our efforts were focused on spotlighting the real people out there who inspire them.”

LGBTQ+ Support Must Extend Beyond a Month

True allyship requires passionate advocacy for a given cause or community internally—not just in your messaging. Brands exhibit this through internal employee resource groups, committees led by those who identify within the community or through external partnerships.

In partnering with GLADD, Netflix found how entertainment uniquely serves as a vehicle for building empathy and understanding toward the LGBTQ+ community—which meant the platform has a significant responsibility to portray diverse stories and highlight marginalized voices. This insight highlights Netflix’s long-term commitment and year-round support to depicting authentic LGBTQ+ stories. For example, La Casa de las Flores is one of the platform’s most popular international series—particularly in Latin America, where it’s been celebrated for its open and positive portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters (and where Circus produced a live, digital extravaganza celebrating the series’ end).

Through social listening, Circus also found that brands generally focus LGBTQ+ efforts in June only, often with messaging that consumers find passive or superficial. In our work with Netflix, the focus wasn’t to deliver just a message for Pride, but rather signal the brand’s commitment toward supporting diversity throughout the year through visibility and representation.

And this work was deeply personal for some of those involved in Circus’ creative team, too. “I came out of the closet after a deep process of self-acceptance, and I know representation makes a huge impact in the way you can embrace your reality and share who you are with others,” says Isabella Soto, Project Manager. “Being part of this project let me work for my community and tell their stories.”

Support LGBTQ+ Communities at Home with Virtualization

Pride is characterized by marches and parades that hearken back to its protest origins. This makes Pride celebrations especially challenging this year, when many must stay at home and keep physically apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And stay-at-home orders especially impact those who feel they can’t be themselves at home, highlighting the need for spaces and events where the LGBTQ+ community can thrive and be more open.

This made it important to offer a virtual safe space where LGBTQ+ viewers could be themselves and surround themselves with their community. Absent of a physical Pride event, we helped Netflix–who was listed in Newsweek as one of 50 US businesses that stood out during the pandemic–virtualize the festivities.

“As a part of the LGBTQ+ community, Pride happening at home meant a number of things,” says Naville Obeso, Creative Content Creator at Circus Marketing “But the most important was the fact that a range of young and adult LGBTQ+ members of the community were going to be uncomfortable, unsafe or sad to be at home ‘back in the closet.’ We knew that we had to deliver something warm at heart to those people. We wanted to build a bridge of empathy, tell them stories that could let them know that this too shall pass and that it gets better.”

We developed video content that invites the LGBTQ+ community to not only watch and relate to character portrayals, but also become active participants in sharing their own personal stories. The first of these is a hero video that remixes previous Pride march footage with scenes from Netflix shows—and from viewers, highlighting messages and tender moments of real lives in a stylized picture-in-picture look.

But the centerpiece of the festivities was “Stories that Unite Us,” a live show kicking off Pride Day. Inspired by quotes from LGBTQ+ Netflix characters, the show prompted real people to share their own stories—including a real, live marriage proposal from the show’s host to his partner.

“During the show, we could read in comments that some were watching it secretly, because at home it is not possible for them to consume LGBTQ+ content with their family,” says Yaneth Velázquez, Global Head of Client at Circus Marketing. “We hope that bringing visibility to stories of the community (real and fictional) can eventually help to open homes and hearts.”

Others on the team agree. “For me, the work represents the power we have to educate thousands of people like my family, people that often don’t have the opportunity to see other realities,” says Sebastián Urrutia, Sr. Creative at Circus. These projects show different ways that a brand can show up and provide support—whether supporting LGBTQ+ people at a time when lack of visibility and a safe space stifles the freedom to connect with others and be yourself, or whether driving change and commitment internally to support the LGBTQ+ and other diverse communities into the long term. These steps go well beyond changing a logo or packaging, and consumers appreciate brands that feel such a responsibility to their audiences.