How ‘The White Lotus’ is using brand partnerships to expand beyond its HBO fanbase

Glamorous, jet-setting murder mystery series “The White Lotus” returns to HBO and streamer Max this weekend after a marketing campaign built to entice non-HBO fans. Core to the mission are brands, which helped the show’s marketing go global and ingrain the subtle faux hotel’s branding into everyday shopping. “These partnerships are critical, not just because it reaches our audiences in creative ways that, frankly, money can’t buy into, but it also deepens the fan engagement because they can then touch and feel it and bring it into their homes, bring it into their lives and wear their fandom,” said Pia Barlow, executive VP, originals marketing, HBO and Max. “The White Lotus” is an HBO Original that airs on both the HBO cable network and Max streaming service (which had its name shortened from HBO Max in 2023). The series is an anthology that follows a group of travelers staying at a luxury resort, grappling with the nuances of themes such as wealth and class in season 1 and sex and relationships in season 2—all while getting to the bottom of a murder mystery. Season 3 is set to take on death and spirituality, and premieres Feb. 16. Season 3 is set in Thailand, and the new locale inspired the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned network to think global with its marketing campaign, particularly as its streamer Max continues its ongoing global expansion. Central to the goal is a partnership with the Four Seasons resort chain, which “The White Lotus” has filmed at for each season, and a combination of immersive experiences and influencer partnerships. The Four Seasons located in Westlake Village, California, will host a wellness retreat (dates to be determined after it was postponed due to the California wildfires) that will put guests through a series of luxury treatments and experiences familiar to resort-goers, but themed for “The White Lotus.” The location will continue to offer show-themed experiences for guests, including ones inspired by each show season’s destination: Maui, Hawaii; Taormina, Italy; and Koh Sumai, Thailand. The Four Seasons activation is in partnership with American Express, which also offers its members travel guides and packages based on the series. American Express will also sponsor behind-the-scenes content that fans can watch on Max and social media. AmEx will additionally appear as a title sponsor for viewers watching the show on Max’s ad-supported tier, and will air interactive ads. Diageo’s Tanqueray Gin and Ketel One Vodka will also present co-branded advertising across Max for “The White Lotus.” The beverage maker created cocktail kits inspired by the show’s Thailand setting as well as a short starring “The White Lotus” season 3 actor Patrick Schwarzenegger. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ketel One Vodka United States (@ketelone_us) Google’s sponsorship tasked WBD’s creative shop Courageous with creating a custom content series with “The White Lotus” actor Nicholas Duvernay and host of “The White Lotus Official Podcast” Evan Ross Katz that highlight the role of Google Pixel and AI tech Gemini for planning travel. The partnership will also feature a Max takeover on the day of the upcoming season finale as well as paid social content. Recent news: Watch Google’s latest Super Bowl commercial Additional brand partners include BMW and Abercrombie & Fitch. And a slate of consumer product partnerships help achieve what Barlow described as “glocal” marketing, or global brands that have local impact with everyday consumers. Products include fashion capsules with Bloomingdale’s and Banana Republic, a luggage line from Away, accessory collections at Diff Eyewear, Brunch and Roccamore as well as skincare products from Supergoop and Kiehl’s, home goods from Nest and CB2 and food products from Compartés and Coffee mate. Season 3 of “The White Lotus” prompted Barlow and HBO’s marketing team to take a different approach to the series. While season 1 “was a sleeper hit, even to us,” according to Barlow, and season 2’s campaign focused on building the series’ fandom, season 3 is when the show aims to build its audience. Viewership for “The White Lotus” has also increased with each season. The season 1 finale drew 1.9 million viewers, while the season 2 finale upped to 4.1 million, according to WBD. Barlow said that she’s observed proof of increased anticipation for the coming season in that the season 3 trailer saw triple the viewership of the prior season’s in the release window, and viewership of the series on Max has increased in recent months ahead of the new season premiere. While engagement for existing fans is relying on general momentum for the series and “if you know, you know” moments such as the return of the character Belinda, played by Natasha Rothwell, the marketing for the show has sought to trade some of the headier themes of the show such as wealth and class for more accessible topics: comedy, murder mystery and sexy drama. “We’re trying to make sure that it’s not just inside baseball, class commentary or wealth commentary, but it’s funny and dark and there’s a death,” said Barlow. The executive added that the HBO team sees potential particularly for growth in Asia, and have highlighted the first-time acting outing for Blackpink pop star Lisa. A recent promotion for the series also was part of the launch promotion for Lisa’s new single “Born Again” featuring Doja Cat and Raye. View this post on Instagram A post shared by LISA (@lalalalisa_m) Finally, Barlow said the show’s promotion is seeking to remind viewers of the importance of Sunday night viewing on HBO despite streaming encouraging on-demand viewing and threatening the power of monocultural moments. Barlow pointed to the recent record viewership for Super Bowl LIX as evidence of appetite for communal moments, and said that HBO will be tapping into the power of FOMO to drive appointment viewing each week.

How ‘The White Lotus’ is using brand partnerships to expand beyond its HBO fanbase

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