What do a stunt pig, the world’s largest action figure and sustainability have in common? They were all strategic aspects of Netflix’s premiere event for season two of “FUBAR.” Indeed, on June 11 at the Tudum Theater in Los Angeles, the brand surrounded press, talent and invited guests in series-themed scenic builds and a bit of spectacle, all while prioritizing low-waste production practices.
A highly shareable red-carpet premiere event was followed by a private screening and a themed afterparty featuring curated lounges, cocktails, a photo op styled like a “FUBAR” action figure box and custom glasses designed with real bullets, which doubled as take-home gifts.
For a peek behind the curtain, we asked Nico Martinez, specialist-events at Netflix, and event lead for the premiere, for his insights on why the program was a hit. (Partners: Analog Events, lead agency; Extra Credit, action figure build)
Star Power & Spectacle
With Arnold Schwarzenegger serving as the show’s star, Netflix leaned into the actor’s celebrity power to set the tone for the event. Most notably, the brand installed a 22-foot-tall statue of Schwarzenegger on-site—the structure holds the Guinness World Record for largest action figure. After the premiere event, the installation was planted at Muscle Beach in Venice, CA, alongside an action-figure photo op.
“The goal of this event, in particular, was we wanted to right-size it,” says Martinez. “It was season two for our action-comedy series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, so our North Star was to leverage him as the frontrunner of and the face of the show. We kind of took a more simplistic approach with creative and let our talent just speak for itself.”
An Endearing Stunt
Schwarzenegger may be the star of “FUBAR,” but the star of Netflix’s red-carpet event was a stunt pig (the show’s second season includes a pig character) called Henry who was renamed Arnold Snortzenegger for the day. The animal was a massive hit both IRL and across social media, and became “our most sought after attendee at the premiere,” Martinez says.
Community Engagement
Press and talent weren’t the only ones in attendance. Netflix additionally turned to Schwarzenegger’s strong community of bodybuilders to reward their fandom and expand the show’s reach. (Fun fact: The actor also made a stop at Muscle Beach to snap photos and engage with bodybuilding fans and passersby in the area.)
“Arnold has a very strong fandom that we wanted to leverage, and he owns this blog called ‘Arnold’s Pump Club,’ so we worked with his team to leverage that audience to come and be a part of the event and celebrate him.”
Eco-friendly Practices
From the get-go, sustainability was built into the event strategy, and it was optimized and tracked across every touchpoint.
“We’ve been working a lot with our sustainability team on finding cleaner alternatives and solutions to energy so that our carbon footprint is as minimal as possible,” says Martinez. “It’s important to us to make sure that our events are super eco-friendly and sustainable, so that we can continue doing that in the future.”
Ultimately, 81 percent of waste was diverted from landfill, 100 percent of the branded glassware was taken by attendees, all print materials were PVC-free and low-VOC, and food and florals were composted, resulting in zero edible food waste.
Photo credit: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netfix
