Truth is — I’ve become growingly fatigued by corporate social media accounts. I think it’s a side effect of working in the media/marketing industry and starting to recognize the various tactics we cycle through.
But, when I open up Instagram these days, I notice there’s almost always a photo of Zendaya or Alexa Demie somewhere on my Explore Page. It’s not hard to guess why — because of their starring roles in HBO sensation Euphoria.
And unlike my usual reaction (ugh, why is the Instagram algorithm trying to sell me yet another brand I don’t need), I actually get pretty hyped.
Okay, okay. I know what you’re probably thinking. Euphoria is a television show, not a brand. Sure —but whether we like it or not, social media marketing has become essential in the film and television industry. Netflix, Disney, A24 — all of these content powerhouses know the importance of having a strong social media presence for each release, whether it’s Stranger Things, The Mandalorian, or The Farewell.
And as I work on my latest production and think about how to grow an audience for a narrative piece, I look to Euphoria as one of our industry’s best practices.
With 1.1 million followers, they’ve amassed a cult following. There are fan accounts for almost every character and relationship on the show.
This is certainly due to the outstanding show itself, but social media and branding has also played a key role.
So here’s what I call “the Euphoria formula”…
- Understand your audience, Understand the Zeitgeist.
Ah…millennials. One of the easiest yet hardest groups to cater towards. Short attention spans, and high expectations — it’s hard to satisfy us all. You can capture our attention, but holding onto it is a different story.
Euphoria’s formula is so successful because they show a solid understanding of not only millennial culture, but digital fan culture and the Zeitgeist. It pays homage to a variety of artistic formats — both high-brow and low-brow.
The show itself was revolutionary in terms of wardrobe, sound design, and makeup. They captured all the current trends, and put their own unique spin on it. Using social media, they brought these elements into the current Zeitgeist, capturing it with elevated behind-the-scenes film photography.
It paid off, as fans eagerly took part in this content, sharing and repurposing for their own fan accounts. In fact, there are entire accounts dedicated to Alexa Demie’s Euphoria makeup looks!
Then, of course, there were the memes. From time to time, the account would ditch their polished aesthetics and pass into the fan-art territory. “Euphoria crack — behind the scenes of season 1” was a lo-fi edit that stitched together the cast’s goofy snapchat-videos, Instagram stories, and showed an entirely different side of them. Of course, fans were delighted.
The ability to capture the humour, tone, and style of the Zeitgeist in a genuine way whilst appealing to a young audience was key to their success.
2. A e s t h e t i c s
Much like Glossier, the Euphoria Instagram is alluring and familiar to fans and non-fans alike. Glossier became a social-media sensation through their minimalist style with consistent pink and whites hues. When you see a Glossier post, you can just tell it’s Glossier even if there’s no products or branding featured.
On first glance of Euphoria’s page, you see the neon purple-blue hues reminiscent of some psychedelic cyberpunk dream-world. The candid film photos, paired with dreamy character-name typography and stills from the series.
Their style is catchy, consistent, and very much unique. There’s a high level of product awareness here. Even friends who didn’t watch the show were familiar and fascinated by their aesthetic. By having a signature look and feel, it was easy to convert someone who’s product-aware into a user (viewer).
3. Find your Personality and Show it.
This also ties into understanding the audience, because merely promoting products isn’t enough to capture the attention of younger audience groups anymore. Many millennial-targeted successful stories like Wendy’s are known for their sarcastic, witty tweets and replies.
Similarly, Euphoria also has a high degree of fan-engagement. This motivates viewers to engage with the account, either through comments or fan art as well. Fan accounts and fan art are one of the best ways to engage with your most-aware customers. They’ll come back to the page again and again, even if the show itself is off-air.
