Exclusive: An inside look at SundanceTV's digital strategy for Deutschland 83
SundanceTV is continuing to launch originals that are catching critics attention. Their latest show is German series that's in the middle of its first season (each episode airs on Wednesdays at 11 ET). Deutschland 83 is a "coming-of-age story set against the real culture wars and political events of Germany in the 1980s" and "follows Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay) as the 24 year-old East Germany native is pulled from the world as he knows it and sent to the West as an undercover spy for the Stasi foreign service."
SundanceTV has built a digital campaign around the show that includes giving fans an interactive look at what Berlin looked like back then versus now. The interactive sliders let you instantly toggle between the past and the present to see that transformation. The network has shared their latest one exclusively with Found Remote.
Here's the slider for: Kurfürstendamm: One of the most famous streets in Berlin which features the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, a major German landmark:
We interviewed Drew Pisarra, vice president of digital media and marketing for SundanceTV about the digital strategy around the show.
Found Remote: Why did you build this slider?
Drew Pisarra: Germany has undergone such major changes in the last 30 years that the slider felt like a very interesting, accessible and visually powerful way to spotlight that evolution.
FR: How has it been doing online?
DP: We’re really pleased with how many people are coming online to engage with the “Deutschland 83” content and catch up on past episodes. The buzz has been incredibly good – not only has the series received glowing reviews in the press, but the show appears to already be establishing a hardcore fanbase online.
FR: What has the digital and social strategy behind this show been?
DP: One of the more impressive aspects of this series is its light touch. Yes, it’s about a young East German spy working during one of the most dramatic stretches of the Cold War, but the writing, cinematography and acting are all so beautiful and pleasant to watch. We wanted to reflect that sense of enjoyment in the digital promotion of the show, so we’ve offered propaganda-style art with episodic pull quotes, weekly DJ playlists of 1980s music, a striking infographic of the titular year, and the aforementioned sliders. Having co-creator Anna Winger tweeting out sharp, insightful running commentary each week during the initial East Coast broadcast adds to that mix.
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