To promote The Walking Dead, a number of terrifying PR pranks and zombie games have been launched in the past. In order to capture the attention of fans in an entirely new way, a real-time, live-action game called 'Apocalypse Live' was set up using Facebook Live.
The Facebook Live game starred two Dutch YouTube vloggers who were abandoned in a barren, zombie-infested wasteland. Those who tuned into the Facebook Live broadcast were able to control the actions of the duo by using the reaction buttons on Facebook.
Due to the nature of the campaign, as it was going on, many fans began to call out that all of the action was scripted and pre-produced. In response, the feed was stopped momentarily, effectively pausing the action, building suspense and increasing reach by 10 times. In total, more than two million live views were achieved with this FB Live Game.
Real-Time Zombie Games
The Walking Dead Turned Facebook Live into a Live-Action Video Game
Trend Themes
1. Real-time Interactive Broadcasting - Emerging trend of interactive broadcasting using social media platforms to engage with audience and create immersive experiences.
2. Gamification for Marketing - Using game mechanics and elements to engage customers and create brand loyalty.
3. Interactive Social Media Marketing - Creating interactive marketing campaigns using social media platforms to increase brand awareness and engagement.
Industry Implications
1. Entertainment - The entertainment industry can use real-time interactive broadcasting to create immersive experiences for fans and promote their content.
2. Gaming - The gaming industry can explore gamification for marketing by creating games that promote their products or services.
3. Marketing - The marketing industry can use interactive social media marketing to increase engagement and create memorable campaigns for their clients.