STARZ

The objective

Drumming up hype for the final season of STARZ’s Power Book II: Ghost

STARZ is a leading media and streaming platform known for its diverse and high-quality entertainment content. With the 10th anniversary of Power and the final season of Power Book II: Ghost steadily approaching, they set out to make it an unmissable moment. To celebrate the show's cultural impact and give it a proper send-off, STARZ partnered with TikTok to spark excitement and drive viewership using a TikTok-first strategy. Their strategic approach embraced TikTok’s community-centric culture to amplify the show’s buzz.

The solution

Driving awareness through TopView, creator collaborations, and TikTok-first storytelling

To build momentum for the premiere of Power Book II: Ghost Season 4, STARZ tapped into TikTok's unique creative ecosystem, employing a mix of TopView, In-Feed Ads, and creator collaborations.

To maximize the campaign's visibility and ensure people could experience the moment, STARZ leveraged primetime TopView ads, the first video people see when they open the TikTok app. This approach kept the season launch front and center. STARZ reinforced its message with In-Feed Ads integrated seamlessly into the For You page. But to make a lasting impact, they turned to the trusted voices of TikTok creators, experts at making TikTok-native content, to connect authentically with the target audience.

Through TikTok Creative Exchange's (TTCX) summer-funded Creator-Led Package (CLP), STARZ worked with TikTok Marketing Partner Open Influence to source and manage the creator partnerships. The CLP program provides personalized services that match advertisers with TTCX creator partners who handle creative production and campaign management. Ultimately, STARZ collaborated with popular comedy creators Kyle Flood (@thekillakay_) and Jalen Hinton (@thej.one.8), as well as entertainment creator Bryce Vaughn (@da_narrator) to produce assets for their TopView and In-Feed Ads that target fans of the show and audiences interested in entertainment.

For TopView, creators Kyle Flood and Jalen Hinton leveraged TikTok's POV style, a storytelling format foundational to the platform, to promote the new season in a way that resonated with their communities. Their engaging videos encouraged users to interact with a call-to-action, urging them to watch the final season on the STARZ app. By making creators with established fanbases and community credibility the faces of the TikTok campaign, STARZ effectively reached a broader audience more authentically.

The results

All eyes on Ghost

STARZ's creator-led TopView campaign earned primetime success, illustrating how TikTok advertising solutions and creator collaborations can help brands break through to audiences in a way that isn't possible through traditional marketing. The campaign reached an impressive 25.3 million impressions, surpassing initial goals. The creator videos delivered a 44% increase in average watch time and a 49% higher six-second view-through rate (VTR) compared to the studio-produced asset. Not only did the content capture attention, but it also drove action. Commenters noted that the ads reignited their interest in the show, with some even renewing their STARZ subscriptions as a direct result. Looking ahead, STARZ plans to continue advertising on TikTok for future milestone moments, having seen firsthand the effectiveness of TikTok-first strategies.