Foxtel: How a Prison Rat Made Wentworth No. 1 on Foxtel
We created a virtual character within a loved TV franchise to ensure every fan watched every episode as it went to air. Our character became a part of the show, capturing the nation's attention and delivering a No. 1 hit.
Challenge
Our brief was to make Wentworth the No. 1 drama on Foxtel every week of the season. Our challenge was compounded by a fundamental shift in viewer behaviour. More subscribers than ever before were sitting out the season to binge every episode on demand.
Insight
Women 35-50 are the engine room for Wentworth ratings, with our social media analysis highlighting that each fan feeds off each other and fuels anticipation for the next episode. Our insight was that if just one Wentworth fan waits to binge, they compromise their entire network. Our media had to ensure every fan had someone to fuel their excitement every week.
Idea
So, we created a virtual Wentworth character through Facebook Messenger. She contacted fans through a contraband phone to smuggle out secrets, prison goss and exclusive content every week. This was more than a chatbot – this was a new way to watch.
Delivery
We introduced the character to fans before launch by leaking footage from the prison that revealed a missing phone and suspicions of a rat inside. We then designed a Facebook Messenger bot to bring her to life. Our fictional character became a fan favourite and part of Wentworth culture.
Results
Wentworth became the No. 1 drama on Foxtel every week from premiere to finale. The Rat recording over 2.3M individual interactions and the average user spent 1hr 9mins talking to the Rat: an incredible 1.4 yrs of cumulative time spent engaging with our virtual character.