Campaign Summary

To promote the premiere episode of Ray Donovan, Showtime Networks ran the first-ever New York Times iPad app campaign, which leveraged unique technology, including full-frame, edge-to-edge video in the banners and an expansion to a fully interactive trailer.

Strategy and Execution

To drive viewership and reinforce Showtime as the network with the most unique, cutting-edge, and talked-about series on television, the brand reached out to “self-educators” who are eager for the consumption of new information. Self-educators revel in being the first to be “in the know,” and are a trusted resource for friends and family. These potential Ray Donovan viewers use mobile devices as a discovery mechanism, and rely heavily on news sources and social media outlets.

The New York Times audience was perfectly aligned with this target. The Ray Donovan takeover app allowed would-be fans to watch trailers or a full episode, and the chance to dig deeper to get more information about the series, facilitated by an organic opportunity to learn about the characters and their storylines through the interactive app interface. App users could also download the show’s premiere episode, the Showtime Anytime app, or the music featured in the trailer. 

The New York Times takeover displayed a level of cinematography and character development that was in sync with the Showtime brand. Based on tablet engagement data, the Ray Donovan takeover held consumer’s attention for almost 2.5 times longer than the industry average. The average viewing time for a takeover is 20 seconds, but consumers stayed on the Ray Donovan takeover for nearly a minute.

Results

The summer TV landscape is extremely competitive, but the brand spoke directly with the target and captured their attention by giving them a chance to experience something new. Ray Donovan had the biggest original series debut in Showtime’s history with 1.35 million viewers, up from the 1.08 million who watched the debut of Homeland on October 2, 2011. Over two plays on Sunday, Ray Donovan pulled in 2.22 million viewers. In addition:

• The takeover garnered 2.6 million impressions.
  
  
• The average expansion rate of an entertainment-type takeover on an app is 0.75 percent, but Ray Donovan over-delivered with an expansion rate of 0.82 percent.
  
  
• The engagement rate performed 25.27 percent above the average rate of 15 percent.
  
  
• Out of approximately 22,000 recorded expansions, 10,492 video plays were recorded past the 10 percent mark of the 2:30 Ray Donovan interactive trailer.
  
  
• Approximately 33 percent of the video plays that surpassed the 10 percent mark reached 100 percent completion.