Netflix Squid Game Season 2

The Objective

Building anticipation for Squid Game on Netflix

The campaign had a clear objective: to build a strong anticipation before the premiere of Squid Game, drive maximum reach and attention during the release window, and sustain user engagement, even after all episodes dropped. But the premiere was to be launched on December 26, during the holiday season, facing the challenge of staying true to the essence of the show and the viewing habits of its fans while surviving a saturated content environment.

In that context, Netflix needed to stand out and keep viewers hooked, not only before and during the launch, but also in the weeks that followed. Additionally, the campaign needed to localize the global hype. With interests spanning K-Dramas, video games and drama series, the local strategy had to meet audiences where they were, and TikTok was the perfect platform to get there.

The Solution

Turning Netflix into a cultural engine on TikTok

TikTok was at the heart of the strategy, not only as a media platform, but as a cultural catalyst that could deliver an immersive, relevant, and participatory experience. The approach was rooted in storytelling and interaction, ensuring that audiences were not just passive viewers, but active participants in the campaign narrative.

The campaign ran from November 7, 2024, to January 15, 2025, using a mix of premium and performance formats to balance reach, engagement, and qualified traffic. Top View Ads launched the initiative with maximum visibility, serving as the primary entry point to the experience. These placements were crafted to inspire immediate action, directing users to the TikTok Spotlight hub. a tailored in-app destination that offered themed content, interactive mini-games, and branded storytelling elements designed to deepen engagement.

In parallel, Auction Campaigns targeted more specific audience segments with personalized messaging that reinforced the campaign’s themes and guided users toward the hub. This dual-format approach allowed the brand to combine mass reach with precision targeting, ensuring both broad awareness and high-quality interactions.

A key pillar of the strategy was sustained engagement. The creative design of the Spotlight hub, paired with ongoing optimization of formats and messaging, ensured that interest in the campaign extended well beyond its initial launch, maintaining relevance during and after the peak promotion period.

The Results

Keeping the story alive beyond the premiere

The campaign exceeded performance benchmarks and sustained engagement well beyond launch. TikTok’s multi-format approach captured attention, drove traffic, and kept audiences actively interacting with the Spotlight hub and the show’s content ecosystem.

• Top View Ads: Captured 50% of the total audience, with a +99% CTR increase vs. 2024 brand benchmark.

• Auction Campaigns: Delivered targeted traffic, achieving +166% CTR growth over 2024 traffic campaign benchmark.

• Sustained Impact: Engagement and traffic remained above benchmark one month after the premiere.

• BLS Multicell: +7% ad recall lift among BAU audience and +12% among audiences exposed to BAU + engagement-focused elements.

• Consideration Signals: Users engaged deeply with the hub, reinforcing intent and building ongoing excitement.

Sources:

- TikTok Marketing Science Mexico, BLS Study, 2024.

- Client internal data, 2025