Freeform's Cruel Summer Season 2 Campaign

Our agency partnered with Freeform to craft one of summer 2023's most subtly brilliant social campaigns for the second season of their hit show, Cruel Summer. As an anthology series, our team had the exciting opportunity to explore a new cast of characters, a fresh 90s time period, and a distinct Pacific Northwest setting.

Our objective for this ten-episode whodunit was to highlight and question the motivations of each main suspect, as well as the circumstances surrounding the season’s central murder. This required a delicate balance: providing just enough information to intrigue fans without revealing too much or overly complicating the narrative.

Once the campaign began rolling out leading up to the premiere, fans eagerly consumed every pixel and word we posted. Theories and conspiracies started to grow organically within the community, making our work even more rewarding. There's truly nothing like a ravenous fanbase that deeply enjoys what they're experiencing.

The campaign culminated in a pivotal event: a day-long Instagram takeover designed as a Y2K-esque "hack." We "deleted" (archived) every existing post and began sharing content a normal account would never allow. While fans were already immersed in conspiracy theories, their excitement reached new heights when we started directly answering their questions.

After hours of "struggling" to regain control of their Instagram account, Freeform issued a public apology to their fans for the disruption. Ultimately, the Cruel Summer Season 2 premiere became Freeform's top-performing show in two years.