In what was a hybrid mix of fan-event meets red carpet launch meets activation experience, Netflix took over Sydney’s Cockatoo Island on Saturday night to celebrate the season two return of Wednesday.
Flown out for the event was the titular Wednesday star Jenna Ortega, along with supporting castmates Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Gwendoline Christie (Larissa Weems), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin). Superstar director Tim Burton, the lead director for the series, was also in attendance, as were series co-creators Al Gough and Miles Millar.
The Wednesday Island activation was the last stop in Netflix’s ‘Global Doom Tour.’ It began at Cockatoo Island mid-week with an ‘Outcast Assembly’ press conference event, which invited press and creators from eight countries across Asia including Australia, new Zealand, India, and the Philippines. The tour ended with the very impressive Wednesday Island on Saturday.
While the Hollywood actors were a drawcard for the event, the scale and sophistication of the activation sets a new benchmark for media promotional events like this. The last media event at this scale was Netflix’s Stranger Things Sydney Opera House takeover back in 2017, with the Wednesday event well and truly stepping things up.
The fan experience
The event was suitably spooky. As guests were dropped off by boat to Cockatoo Island, the sounds of howling dogs and other creepy noises filled the air. Visitors were met by various Burton-esque costumed figures as they were funnelled into a dark tunnel with the lights regularly sending guests into complete darkness. Once they emerged from the tunnel, one of the main event spaces was revealed – a red carpet space surrounded by lit torches and a large raven figure lit on fire.
It was spectacularly cool. Visitors were given an alcoholic blood bag drink and set off to wander around the event site while waiting for the celebrity guests to arrive. Inside a nearby building, visitors were treated to recreations of sets from the show, props, and general creepy displays.
The flaming raven pyre was over 5m in size
There were around 2000 fans invited to the event, many dressed in suitably oddball “outcast” costuming. The level of effort many went to with their own outfit choices was impressive. While the red carpet arrival was a huge drawcard, with Tim Burton notably stopping to pose for photos and talk to a lot of those who turned out to see him, the main event of the night was the panel conversation with the guests, followed by a concert by Australian singer Peach PRC.
The activation
Sydney is no stranger to large scale promotional events. Every major Hollywood film is usually given a sizeable event to go with it, inviting media and influencers an opportunity to mingle with a few stars from the film, along with drinks and 1-2 creative activations. Most recently, Sydney saw the stars of the latest Marvel film Fantastic Four: First Steps appear at a very impressive event at the Hoys Entertainment Quarter. Thousands of screaming fans saw the stars of the film, with a large and impressive stage area set up outside the cinema.
Events like the Wednesday activation dwarf it. Taking over such a large space like Cockatoo Island and staging an event like this for fans is the sort of event that is made for a social media era. Each of those fans took to Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms sharing images and their enthusiasm for the night.