Season one of Adults, created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, checked off all the right boxes for me. The series follows a group of friends (poorly) navigating their newfound adult life while living together in New York. As a sitcom fanatic, I binged season one the day of its release and absolutely loved it. Within one day, I was already waiting for more. Much to my excitement, FX picked the series up for a second season soon after the release of the first season. A year later, here it is. This past August, FX’s hit show kicked off its second season, but not before surprising fans with a special episode weeks before the season’s release, along with some killer marketing.
Although I thought season one was incredible, there were some complaints about the pilot episode, specifically with the quite raunchy opening scene. The scene was funny to me, but apparently, it caused many to click off of the show. So, before the release of season two, Adults writers gave us a second pilot: a prequel to season one that follows the group’s first meeting with their newest member, Paul Baker.
To build up excitement for the new season, this special pilot episode, “Marathon Day,” was plastered everywhere. Fans could find this episode not only on Hulu, where the show actually airs, but the full episode was posted to TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. The goal was to spread this one episode to as many people as possible to get them to watch season one, which definitely worked for me. I watched this hilarious special episode, and as the credits rolled, the next episode automatically played. I ended up being sucked in and rewatched all of season one, which perfectly prepared me for the new season. This not only worked on me, but many fans of season one admitted to rewatching, and new fans who saw the second pilot all over social media were hooked enough to finish the whole season. This built up so much excitement for the new season, which was airing only a few weeks later. Viewers didn’t have to wait a year for the new season like we’re used to.
Following the release of the second pilot, the Adults marketing team began finding creative ways to catch people’s attention. They partnered with marketing agency Archrival to plaster Adults‘ name, poster, and characters all over New York. Quirky quotes and character anecdotes were seen in nightclubs and bars, ones that Generation Z or even the Adults characters may frequent. Funny scenes from the show were even put on screens inside Ubers. Additionally, the Adults team hosted immersive pop-ups with the cast soon before season two was released.
They got even more creative via social media. Fake profiles were made across different dating apps for each of the characters, and they even went as far as to have fake conversations on Grindr with fans. This was a hilarious way of bringing these characters to life, making them seem like people who can be our friends.
However, my favorite aspect of this marketing rollout was the use of Reddit. Reddit is known for its infamous “Am I the Assh*le?” threads. Soon before season two came out, fans began to notice these posts coming from some familiar, yet fictional names. One post appeared with a profile picture that looked a lot like fan favorite Anton, asking for readers’ opinions on him marrying Paul Baker in season one, with the headline “Married my best friend’s boyfriend. And then kissed him.” This caught the attention of many fans and ordinary Reddit users; this made me even more excited for the new season because it involved the season one cliffhanger between Anton and Paul Baker. A few of these posts appeared, and they were a great way of getting the general public to read about some of the wacky storylines that take place in Adults.
even funnier than the reddit posts were the guest stars
The marketing gods sensed my excitement for the new season because, days before the release of season two, I met Owen Thiele, also known as Anton Evans, while I was walking around New York. I was so happy to be able to tell him about my anticipation for the new season, but I was even more excited to hear that the person standing next to him, Jake Shane, would be a part of season two as a guest star.
Season two included some incredible guest stars, including Jake Shane, Ben Marshall, Julia Fox, Gaten Matarazzo, and Raven-Symoné: people that my generation could easily recognize. They even went as far as to merge their use of social media with guest stars. Street interviews have become a widely popular new form of promotion; these types of interviews were featured as a storyline in the new season. In episode seven, Paul Baker struggles to walk to work when street interviewers keep stopping him due to his “man on the street face.” You might recognize some of these interview shows, like Gaydar, Recess Therapy, and Street Hearts. These interviews were featured in the show and were also posted to the actual social media accounts of these internet shows, making it seem like Paul Baker is a real person who got stopped on the street, just like in the show.
Rollouts like this are the exact reason I want to go into digital marketing myself. This was well thought out, creative, and equally as funny as the show’s writing. Adults is being compared to one of the most famous sitcoms of all time: Friends. With only two seasons, that comparison doesn’t come easily. These two seasons have captivated Gen Z, with its relatable storylines, messy relationships, and a marketing campaign that blurs the line between fiction and reality. All of these characters were brought to life in such unique ways, making these characters seem more like friends than fiction, and it worked; the viewership of season two rose 40% compared to the first season. This should inspire any other brand targeting Gen Z; this is how to get the attention of an entire generation.