Case Studied: Vol 65. Apple TV+: Hype after a hiatus 🧑‍💻

Many television producers and marketers would probably agree that the less time in between TV show seasons, the better. Quick turnarounds offer the advantages of recency bias and allow you to maintain a consistent connection with the audience. 

However, short gaps are becoming a rarity today. It started with delays caused by the pandemic. Then, the 2023 Hollywood writers strike threw many schedules into disarray. Eighteen months is now the average gap between TV show seasons. Of course, this poses a marketing challenge, even for highly popular shows—but we’ve seen some creative solutions as a result. 

This week, Case Studied explores how Apple TV+ went viral for a OOH pop-up promoting season two of Severance.

The Brief:

Here’s some brief context for anyone who isn’t familiar with the plot of Severance: the show is based on a group of people who agreed to undergo the process of severance aka a brain surgery that separates their work lives from their personal lives. Their two resulting personas are known as “innies” and “outies”—the outies don’t remember a single moment of their work day, whereas the innies live a nightmarish existence trapped within their office walls. 

These characters all work for the same company, Lumon Industries, that has them working on a mundane and mysterious project. The characters’ innies (work-selves) spend much of Season 1 plotting ways to escape Lumon and learn what their personal lives were like. And the first season ended on a huge cliffhanger. 

However, Severance was one of the many shows whose production timeline was impacted by the writer’s strike. As a result, season two aired over two years after season one ended.

With that kind of gap, many folks probably had to rewatch the first season just to get reacquainted with where the plot left off. So, to drum up excitement for the long-awaited new season, Apple TV+ went IRL with the show’s stars.

The Execution:

Given that Severance is a sci-fi drama, Apple TV+ carefully aligned the season two promo with themes from the show. So, on the Tuesday before season two’s premiere, Apple TV+ set up shop in Grand Central Station in New York City. 

They brought a clear, soundproof glass cube into Vanderbilt Hall that had the Apple TV+ logo, the title of the show, and the date of the season two premiere on it. Inside was a replica of the four-person desk at Lumon’s office, complete with small details like framed photos and Lumon-branded mugs. It started with the show’s actors Adam Scott, Britt Lower, and Zach Cherry going into the cube and portraying their innies for what one Adweek writer categorized as “dystopian performance art.” 

The actors improved office activities like sipping coffee, futzing on computers, and throwing paper plans. Later, Patricia Arquette and Tramell Tillman—aka the show’s “bad guys”—came in, at which point Scott later said the crowd at Grand Central went completely silent. 

The delight of this pop-up was in the details. The actors did not break character, but they did keep things interesting. Arquette smacked a desk with a Lumon-branded ruler. Lower threw a rag at Tillman. At one point, Scott was punished by Arquette and forced to stand in a corner and stare at onlookers outside the box. 

Thematically, the activation aligns in a few key ways: 

• The location of the pop up engaged people in their transition from their home life (outies) to their work life (innies).

• The soundproof glass box ties into the theme of surveillance capitalism.

• The barrier between the actors and the crowd could symbolically mirrors the division between the characters’ division between innies and outies or the division between Lumon bosses and the employees. 

While fans of the show carefully looked for Easter eggs within the cube, there were seemingly no hints about season two. But there were plenty of exciting details that, according to a Mashable writer who saw the pop up in person, were “bound to make any Severance fan lose their mind.” 

One person even shared on X that she asked a guard at the pop-up if the actors would come back later and in response, he said, “Lumon Industries doesn’t employ actors. Please learn more about the company through this pamphlet.” The guard then handed her a Lumon-branded tote bag that contained an “Instruction Handbook for Newly-Severed Employees.”

Dan Erickson, Severance’s creator and showrunner, and Ben Stiller, the director and executive producer, were both in the crowd at Grand Central watching from the sidelines. Stiller even snapped a few photos on his phone, looking like a proud dad.

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The Results:

The Severance pop-up went viral on social media with overwhelmingly positive feedback. It garnered a ton of earned media coverage, with Apple TV+ receiving praise for their use of both shock value and celebrity star power. 

It also seemed to effectively cater to both existing fans and newcomers—existing fans (who tend to be obsessed with the show) could take delight in searching for clues within the pop up, whereas those who hadn’t watched could be inclined to start it, having had an intimate brush with its actors. 

The Mashable writer in attendance said she audibly heard people’s excitement about the actors and the show in general. People talked about their anticipation for season two, swapped theories, and discussed the watch parties they were planning. Folks also used the opportunity to sell the show to their friends: “Have you watched this show? You need to watch this show.” 

Following the premiere, critics gave Severance season two a 100% fresh Rotten Tomatoes score, beating out the first season, which received a 97% fresh rating.

Key Takeaways:

This OOH activation from Apple TV+ hit on all the right marks. Here are a few takeaways: 

1. Lean Into Immersive Brand Experiences

   Consumers today crave experiences, not just advertisements. Apple TV+ leveraged this by bringing Severance to life with a pop-up that made fans feel like they had stepped inside the show. The interactive nature—actors staying in character, props mimicking the set, and cryptic responses from staff—blurred the lines between fiction and reality. This created a spectacle that was not just marketing but an event worth talking about.

   For marketers, this reinforces the value of immersive, in-person activations. Whether through pop-ups, brand installations, or live performances, crafting a tangible experience deepens audience connection. Even if your brand isn’t entertainment-focused, think about how you can create a moment that feels real, interactive, and on-brand—turning passive consumers into engaged participants.

2. Leverage Cultural & Physical Context

   Placing the activation in Grand Central Station wasn’t random—it mirrored the show’s theme of transitioning between personal and work identities. Similarly, the glass box symbolized the lack of privacy and control faced by the characters. Every element felt intentional, making the campaign not just visually striking but deeply aligned with the story.

   For marketers, the takeaway is clear: context matters. Consider where and how your audience interacts with your brand in their daily lives. Is there a physical space or a cultural moment that aligns with your brand’s narrative? Thoughtful placement and symbolism make campaigns feel organic rather than forced, allowing them to resonate on a deeper level.

3. Use Scarcity & Mystery to Build Hype

   Instead of flooding the internet with trailers and teasers, Apple TV+ let curiosity do the work. The Severance activation provided no direct season two spoilers, just eerie interactions and subtle world-building. This scarcity created intrigue, prompting both die-hard fans and casual onlookers to speculate, share theories, and spread organic buzz online.

   Marketers should consider how to introduce an element of mystery in their campaigns. Instead of laying everything out, tease just enough to get people talking. Limited-time experiences, cryptic messaging, or “hidden” brand elements encourage audiences to lean in rather than scroll past—turning curiosity into conversation.

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