US – Netflix has revealed the meaning behind a series of billboards in New York and Los Angeles bearing the phrase ‘Netflix is a joke’ in a 60-second spot aired during the Primetime Emmy Awards.
The billboard campaign was part of the streaming service’s wider campaign to promote its stand-up comedy offering. In the ad, comics including Ellen DeGeneres, Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld are overlaid onto scenes from a selection of shows from Netflix’s Original Series section.
Rock incites a riot in a scene from comedy series Orange is the New Black, while DeGeneres invades scenes from The Crown. In line with our Anti-authenticity Marketing macrotrend, Netflix is taking a self-referential approach to engage consumers.