"Meet Walter” campaign extends the trailer to the inbox
Even if you aren’t a fan of the "Alien" franchise, chances are good that you’ve at least heard about the latest installment coming out this weekend: "Alien: Covenant." The much-anticipated film has been heavily promoted by 20th Century Fox, and they’ve done a top-notch job generating buzz about the movie long ahead of its release date.
One perfect example? The viral “Meet Walter” marketing campaign. It kicked off with a simple call to action spread through social media back in March, "Created to serve. Created for you. Visit meetwalter.com to reserve and customize your own synthetic companion."
As a fan of the series, it caught my attention immediately, so I visited the URL to sign up and reserve my Walter. Afterward, this email landed in my inbox...
The first email
Date – March 10, 2017
Subject line – Thank You for Registering at MeetWalter.com
Preheader – Your custom Walter AND Chipset manufactured by Weyland-Yutani
This email sells the experience so well.
• The design is gorgeous, mobile-optimized, and looks exactly like what you’d expect from a futuristic tech company (complete with the fictional manufacturer's logo).
• The addition of my name in the "chipset" adds a nice touch of personalization.
• They create a sense of immersion without going too far: While the messaging is completely fitting for the world of the film, links to the "Alien: Covenant" social media profiles remind you what it's all about.
After shamelessly geeking out over the fact that they were using email marketing to power this amazing campaign, I moved on with my life. That is, until…
The second email
Date – May 3, 2017
Subject line – Your Walter is Ready. Customize now at MeetWalter.com
Preheader – Weyland-Yutani is pleased to inform you that your Walter is now available.
Two months after signing up and just a week and a half before the premiere, I was greeted by this email.
It was perfect timing: I still remembered signing up, and with the premiere date coming up so soon, my sense of anticipation was heightened that much more. With a single, focused CTA, there was no distraction from clicking through.
When you click the “Customize Now” button, you land on this page:
It leads you through a fun, interactive quiz that helps you “calibrate” your Walter and land on the best option for your personality.
You’re given a few suggestions based on your responses but still allowed to explore all of the various units. From the practical (Physicist) to the tongue-in-cheek (Romantic and Manny), they offer a little bit of everything for every type of space traveler.
Once you choose your final selection, you’re taken to a page where you can share your customized Walter on Twitter of Facebook.
The full marketing journey
All in all, their team took people through this path...
Social (Initial CTA) ➡️
Website (Signup) ➡️
Email (Confirmation) ➡️
Email (Invitation to Take Quiz) ➡️
Website (Interactive Quiz) ➡️
Social (Share Your Results)
It truly brought everything full circle and created a seamless multichannel marketing experience destined to go viral.
Key takeaways from the "Meet Walter" campaign
- Email marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for building engaging experiences.
- It’s even more powerful when you combine it with other channels like social and your website.
- I’m absolutely going to see "Alien: Covenant" this weekend.
About the Author
McKenzie Gregory is the content marketing manager on Emma’s marketing team. A Nashville native, she can be found covering all things email on the Emma blog, debating hyphenation rules, and watching obscene amounts of Netflix without a trace of shame.
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