HBO’s Watchmen is set in a strange, remixed version of America, a world where Vietnam is the 51st state, where the country suffers from intermittent “squids showers”, and where its citizens use special telephone booths and telescopes to track their only superhuman, the God-like Dr Manhattan.

It’s also a world well known and well loved by comic and pop culture fans- so Campfire created two unique immersives activation at America’s largest comic conventions, allowing fans to literally step inside that world, as well as an influencer kit to hype the show a week before the launch.

THE PARTY: AN IMMERSIVE NYCC EVENT

HBO partnered with IGN to put an a massive Watchmen Afterparty at NY Comic-Con. Check out their exclusive look.

The exclusive, invite-only party took take place at Manhattan’s Classic Car Club and was the talk of Comic-Con.

The venue was filled with nods to the alternate universe and clues as to what fans might be able to expect from HBO’s remix, drawing attendees into this new vision of Watchmen.

DJ Amrit lead the party vibes as guests sipped on themed cocktails among the show’s cast and danced the night away.

And even though “nothing ever ends”, all guests received a special edition Watchmen Swatch Watch.

AT A GLANCE

Regina King Damon Lindelof Yahya nIcole kassel.jpg

Over 600 guests attended most sought-after ticket at the convention. Creators Damon Lindeloff and Dave Gibbons, Director Nicole Kassel, and cast members Regina King, Louis Gossett and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II were some of the few in attendance

INSIDE OUR WORLD

During the party, guests explored multiple immersive and interactive experiences:

DJ Amrit rocked the room from atop a full size police Owlship. It’s yellow-orb eyes glowed eerily from within as it generated a hazy cloud beneath it.
A giant 51st state flag hung from the wall with a spray painted warning.
Glowing Telephone Booths, as seen at SDCC, were stationed outside the entrance and as a floor centerpiece.

Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 2.36.22 PM.png

Screen Shot 2020-06-01 at 2.54.55 PM.png

A photo booth put guests inside a Warhol painting seen in Episode 1. Each guest received a digital and physical copy.
On the patio, giant telescopes were pointed at Mars as a nerdy scientist BA stood nearby to educate on the night sky. When guests peered through the eyepiece, instead of seeing a planet they were treated to space clips from the show which ran on a small LCD screen hidden within the telescope and reflecting off the interior mirror
Custom cocktails were created with three characters in mind.

THE HYPE: INFLUENCER KIT

To create intrigue, a layered influencer kit was sent to select comic and Watchmen fans, celebs, and cast members.

When unsuspecting fans opened the box, they were confused to find a large, bronze acorn with an inscribed plate bearing their name. The box is too large and heavy to only hold an acorn - which is a curious thing to receive anyway - and when they picked it up to inspect further, a hole was revealed with bright yellow shining through.

By removing the black tray top, a trove of swag was revealed.

Influencers such as Wil Wheaton, Adrianne Curry, AJ Mendez, Omar Holman, a bunch of youtubers, and the show’s mask designer Miss Monster went crazy for them, posting their box openings all over instagram for everyone to see.