The Alienist: Angel Of Darkness Site

Objective

TNT aimed to maximize awareness and viewership for the second season of The Alienist: Angel of Darkness during the pandemic, when traditional experiential activations were unavailable. The campaign sought to transform the show's serial-killer mystery into a participatory narrative experience where fans could engage in parallel investigations alongside the protagonist.

Solution

TNT created a multi-platform integrated campaign led by Watson Design Group (creative director Hleb Marholin). The centerpiece was an interactive microsite featuring map-based navigation through 1897 New York City, with weekly games and challenges synchronized to episode releases that invited players to solve mysteries and capture the serial killer in parallel with the TV narrative. The campaign's flagship event was a 60-minute live virtual murder mystery (July 19, 2020) produced by Little Cinema, featuring 13 costumed actors performing from seven iconic NYC locations with full HD livestreaming, real-time chat, and audience voting. Supporting activations included a Facebook Messenger chatbot experience, podcast collaboration with 'Jensen & Holes: The Murder Squad,' and partnerships with luxury brands (D.S. & Durga fragrance, Bergdorf Goodman apparel collection, Death & Co cocktails) plus a pandemic-responsive pro-social component with Delmonico's restaurant delivering meals to NYC healthcare workers. Additional agencies involved: Mirrored Media (retail/experiential), Campfire (influencer strategy), and NVE Experience Agency.

Results

The influencer campaign distributed 100+ story boxes to press, celebrities, and influencers, reaching 8 million earned media impressions across 8.8 million combined follower accounts, with 355,000 followers reached through paid influencer posts. The campaign earned Bronze and Silver awards at the Clio Entertainment Awards for Integrated Campaign and Press/Influencer Kits respectively, and received CSS Winner Site of the Day on December 19, 2020.