When the finale episode of the original version of AMC Networks’ The Walking Dead aired Sunday night, characters from earlier seasons of the show were brought back to live in commercials make for the occasion.
The custom spots were created by Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort marketing agency, AMC’s Content Room, and Dan Sanborn of Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot production company on behalf of marketers Autodesk, Deloitte, DoorDash, MNTN and Ring.
The spots bring back actors and characters that the show’s fans will remember, including Milton Mamet, played by Dallas Roberts; Andrea Harrison, portrayed by Laurie Holding; Rodney, played by Joe Ando-Hirsh and Gareth, acted by Andrew West.
“Ads should be fun. The Walking Dead has generated more cultural conversation over the last decade than any other property and we wanted to honor that by bringing a few characters back from the dead in some fun contextual ads,” said Reynolds.
“We were blown away by the total support of AMC Networks' Content Room and the willingness to be untraditional shown by Deloitte, DoorDash, Autodesk and Amazon Ring. I would also say MNTN but that one was easier since I control that budget! Ads can be a part of the cultural conversation as they once so frequently were. They just need a little more love, attention and mischief,” said Reynolds. COO of MNTN, the ad tech company that acquired Maximum Effort in 2021.
Working closely with the AMC Networks’ Content Room team, Maximum Effort successfully shot all five commercials in two days across two key locations, turning around finished spots in time to air with the finale.
"It was great partnering with Maximum Effort on this epic partner showcase. Content Room’s unique access to the zombie apocalypse and its millions of living fans is one of the many ways we can contextually bring a brand to life,” said Kim Granito, executive VP of Content Room and integrated marketing for AMC Networks. “We know TWD fans will love the creativity and seeing some of their favorite characters come (back) to life through these imaginative spots.”
In one spot Rodney’s head orders from Door Dash, promising the delivery guy he won’t bite. In the spot for Ring, Gareth uses the camera on his doorbell to avoid live people selling raffle tickets. “I would literally rather die…again,” he says. Andrea Harrison shows off the brains she’s collected at Deloitte.
After it launched, The Walking Dead quickly became the highest rated show on cable, and in some seasons was drew the biggest audience of any scripted shows on TV. For AMC, spots on The Walking Dead drew record pricing, and demand for the spots helped the company sell its other ad inventory at higher costs per thousand viewers.
Even as the series aged, and cord cutting eroded audiences, prices for spots on The Walking Dead remained high and prices for spots in the finale cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The clients in the finale said they were all in.
“The Walking Dead has been a cultural phenomenon, and we’re proud of the role Autodesk’s software has played in bringing many of TWD’s visual effects to life over these past 11 seasons," said Dara Treseder, Chief Marketing Officer, Autodesk. “Autodesk is thrilled to partner with Maximum Effort – and alongside beloved brands – to celebrate the show’s finale and connect the audience to the technology behind the scenes. As Milton Mamet shared – with Autodesk software, anything you can imagine, you can design and make – from greener buildings and cleaner cars to award-winning TV shows!”
“If there is one thing this post-apocalyptic show has taught us, it’s that creativity, resilience and preparedness are essential to survival,” says Suzanne Kounkel, CMO, Deloitte US. “When we think about The Walking Dead we think about transformation, transcending limitations and circumstances, and overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles. At Deloitte, our people do just that every day, tackling some of the most pressing challenges of our time, with creativity, innovation and a willingness to take risks. We’re privileged to participate in this cultural moment – the end of an era for The Walking Dead fandom – and for the opportunity to collaborate with Maximum Effort on an ad campaign that enables us to celebrate our brand and showcase our fun, creative side.”
“We're super stoked to partner with Maximum Effort to send off this wonderfully beloved series. The Walking Dead has captured the hearts and imagination of millions of fans and to be a part of such a fun and unexpected advertising intervention is truly special” said DoorDash’s head of brand marketing, David Tai Bornoff. “For more than 12 years, the show delivered to its fanbase, and we hope that DoorDash does the same, whether to your porch, your door, or your pike!"
“Tapping into cultural moments like this AMC campaign allows us to show up in unexpected ways and bring some fun to our brand,” said Lindsey Scheftic, head of marketing for Ring. “This collaboration is another way for us to delight customers and reach new audiences in helping make neighborhoods (and Zombies) safer.”
AMC is keeping its Walking Dead franchise undead with a number of spinoffs including Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Tales of The Walking Dead and projects featuring Walking Dead characters Rick, Michonne and Daryl. ■
