Daybreak’s post-apocalyptic world was a visual feast, with a destroyed Glendale and teen cliques transformed into tribal versions of themselves. But beyond this darkly comic premise, how could we tell the YA audience there was a relatable – and even emotional – core to the series that would keep them watching? Our insight: even the end of civilization has a silver lining.

With adults now zombies and homework a distant memory, teenagers could suddenly reinvent themselves. Or, in copy: “You say Apocalypse like it’s a bad thing.” This relatable YA theme, combined with an irreverent attitude, was the basis for a campaign about transformation, both of the world the characters once knew and who they thought they were. We developed a unified look across custom shoot teasers, key art, out-of-home, trailers, TV spots, on-product executions, and social content. We explored the before-and-after of the characters and their world with a tongue-and-cheek humor in the spirit of Ferris Bueller (which the show referenced heavily). Then we expanded on the emotional journeys of the characters and the heart underneath the madness in the trailers and clip spots.