Stranger Things.
Image: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Netflix/AFP
“Fandom doesn’t turn off after you’ve binged a show,” says Netflix CMO Marian Lee. “When you engage so deeply in a story or feel so connected to a character, you want to be immersed in the universe.”
Netflix CMO Marian Lee
Image: Philip Cheung]
She knows attachment like this is both personal and cultural. That’s why when Netflix released the second and third seasons of Squid Game—the global hit out of South Korea—within six months of each other, she had the company’s Korean team lead the overall creative strategy. “It would be very American for us to say, ‘Okay, well, now that it’s the biggest show, we’re going to have our largest marketing and publicity teams in L.A. run the campaign,’” Lee says.
The Korean team’s efforts—for both seasons—were clear across global markets, where the series showed up in the real world: Promotions for both seasons included fans playing Red Light, Green Light on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, a Squid Game–themed rave in London, and a cosplay contest in Brooklyn attended by star Lee Byung-hun—with drinks and co-branded merch available from Korean soju brand Jinro.
As a result of this strategy, Squid Game season 2 had the most premiere-week views of any Netflix show in history and spent 10 consecutive weeks in the Netflix Global Top 10. Season 3 hit 106.3 million views in its first 10 days—putting it roughly on par with season 2’s initial 10-day viewership.
Lee took a similar fan-first approach to build buzz in the fall of 2025, for season 2 of Wednesday. Its centerpiece was a “Meal of Misfortune” collab with Wendy’s—which included chicken nuggets, a mystery-flavored “Dip of Dread,” and a “Raven’s Blood” (cherry) Frosty—that attracted 2.6 billion earned media impressions.
Lee says good brand collabs are all about sharing the same ambition and creative standards. “We want to work with partners who can appreciate that our bar for creative work isn’t just a logo slap,” she says.
This story is part of Fast Company’s 2025 Brands That Matter. Explore the full list of honorees that have demonstrated a commitment to their brand’s purpose and cultural relevance to their audience. Read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jeff Beer is a senior staff editor at Fast Company, and has been covering marketing, advertising, and how brands impact culture since 2006. His coverage varies from in-depth features and interviews, to industry analysis and cultural commentary.