How Netflix Made the UK Question Reality for Black Mirror

iProspect

Client: Netflix

To launch Season 7 of Black Mirror, Netflix set out to dominate cultural conversation and become the most talked-about show across streaming platforms in April. But with a tech-savvy, conspiracy-loving audience that rejects traditional advertising, we needed a bold, immersive idea that felt authentically Black Mirror. Enter The Nubbin — a fake consumer tech product that blurred the lines between fiction and reality.

Instead of promoting the show, we launched a product. 'The Nubbin', a sleek wearable device promising connection and control, was seeded into the real world through a meticulously crafted, multi-phase campaign. We mimicked the aesthetic of big tech launches, placing our ads in iconic UK locations like Piccadilly Lights and Old Street, and ran targeted digital and social ads under the guise of fictional company 'TCKR Systems'.

In phase two, we validated the product with influencer demos, viral TikToks, and podcast discussions — all designed to feel real, yet eerily off. On April 10th, we revealed the twist: The Nubbin was fiction, and Black Mirror was back.

The results were staggering. TikTok engagement exploded with 300K followers and 6.3M likes. Influencer Issa Rae drove 45M+ views. Reddit conversations surged 707%, and Black Mirror became the #1 show across SVOD and BVOD, even outperforming the BBC's The Apprentice on BVOD.

By turning a dystopian narrative into a real-world experience, we didn’t just market a show - we made people live it!