HBO Max has rolled out an expansive and frightening new global stunt in celebration of the upcoming debut of the HBO Original series IT: Welcome to Derry. Kicking off on Tuesday, 21 October, the iconic red balloons from the IT universe floated into social channels, sparking global conversation around Pennywise’s impending return.
Then, on Wednesday, 22 October, the online chatter quickly spilled into a real-world nightmare as red balloons began to pop up in major cities worldwide.
Starting with a cluster of red balloons underneath Sydney’s Harbour Bridge, townsfolk from the fictional town of Derry then began to appear in Bradfield Park holding single red balloons. These were featured in Instagram and TikTok videos from HBO Max Australia.
Throughout the day, eerie solo red balloons, daunting large red balloons, and other series themed easter eggs then began appearing in cities across the globe including New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Paris, Singapore, Manila, Cappadocia, Warsaw, Santiago de Chile, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Dubai. The red balloons were just the beginning, as Pennywise began to make terrifying appearances throughout various world cities, including New York and Los Angeles.
Beyond these physical balloon placements, HBO Max extended this activation across brand partners, digital takeovers, social, influencers, sporting events, and more.
Developed by filmmakers Andy Muschietti, Barbara Muschietti (IT, IT Chapter Two, The Flash) and Jason Fuchs (IT Chapter Two, Wonder Woman, Argylle), the series is produced by Warner Bros. Television and will feature multiple episodes directed by Andy Muschietti.
Set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe, the series is based on King’s novel and expands the vision established by Muschietti in the feature films IT and IT Chapter Two.
Produced by HBO and Warner Bros. Television. Andy Muschietti and Barbara Muschietti (through their Double Dream production company), Jason Fuchs (through his FiveTen Production company), Brad Caleb Kane, David Coatsworth, Bill Skarsgård, Shelley Meals, Roy Lee, and Dan Lin are executive producers. Fuchs, who wrote the teleplay for the first episode, and Kane serve as co-showrunners on the project.
HBO Original drama series IT: Welcome to Derry debuts Monday 27 October, only on HBO Max.
To view the full campaign, follow @HBOMaxAU on TikTok and Instagram.
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