Sling TV
Multi-Channel Advertising Campaign

Driving Subscriber Growth Through Targeted Advertising

Sling TV, a trailblazer in over-the-top (OTT) streaming, faced fierce competition and the complex task of expanding its subscriber base amidst evolving viewing habits. This case study details a multi-channel advertising campaign designed to drive significant subscriber growth by attracting new segments and retaining existing customers in a rapidly shifting market.

As an Art Director and Motion Graphics Designer on this project, my role primarily focused on crafting visually compelling and intuitive advertising experiences across digital campaign touchpoints. I was responsible for the strategic development and execution of design solutions that drove user engagement and conversion.

Sling TV: Multi-channel Advertising Campaign

Task

Increase brand awareness for Sling TV as a unique OTT service, specifically targeting millennials and those opting out of traditional pay-TV.

Drive conversions by developing and executing compelling and targeted marketing campaigns.

Communicate Sling TV’s key differentiators, such as affordability, flexibility, and access to live sports and programming, to the target audience.

Acquire new customers (cord-nevers, cord-shavers) and increase retention among existing subscribers.

Action

Digital Advertising

I was responsible for the design, animation, and development of high-impact digital advertising, including interactive banner ads with targeted messaging for different audience segments (e.g., emphasizing affordability for “Cord Nevers”) and various promotional banners for networks, shows, events, and special offers. My focus was on optimizing visual hierarchy and calls to action to guide the user’s eye and encourage clicks.

Video Bumpers and Social Advertising

Short, attention-grabbing video bumpers were created for program promotions across digital platforms. I also developed captivating cinemagraphs for social media, inspired by the aesthetics of popular shows (e.g., Pretty Little Liars on Freeform), using dynamic fluid motion to highlight exciting content and invite free trial sign-ups. My work ensured these visuals captured attention and seamlessly guided viewers towards product engagement.

This captivating cinemagraph, inspired by the dark and suspenseful aesthetics of Pretty Little Liars on Freeform, uses a dynamic fluid motion to highlight the exciting content available on Sling TV. Designed to capture attention on social media, this video invites viewers to start a free trial and experience the Sling TV product.

This video bumper for Pretty Little Liars on Freeform visually references a character’s near-drowning with fluid motion and the compelling question, “How far are the liars willing to go?” Designed to immediately hook audiences, this bumper highlights the intense drama available. Like other bumpers I designed for various shows on Sling TV, it invites viewers to start a free trial and dive into the full series.

Email Marketing Campaigns

Segmented email campaigns were designed with personalized messaging and compelling offers to attract new subscribers and retain existing ones. This included welcome campaigns to encourage trial activation, content discovery emails, and re-engagement campaigns for expired trials.

Sling TV email creative example welcoming new free trial subscribers to start using the product by providing device and program discovery support.

Sling TV email creative example encouraging free trial subscribers to discover more content.

Sling TV email creative example encouraging free trial subscribers to start using the product by providing device and program discovery support.

Sling TV email creative example showing program scheduling, device support and how to access account settings.

Ensured Cross-Channel Visual Consistency

Working within a broader multi-channel campaign that spanned digital, print, and video, I played a key role in ensuring consistent design language and messaging. This involved actively revising select print materials and collaborating to ensure all digital assets seamlessly integrated with other campaign components, reinforcing Sling TV’s unified brand identity and creating a cohesive brand experience across every touchpoint.

Results

Increased Brand Awareness

Through national campaigns like #TakeBackTV and “Who’s Bad?!”, our efforts rapidly differentiated Sling TV, helping it achieve an estimated 50% market share among online TV subscribers by end of 2016.

Significant Subscriber Growth

Sling TV achieved remarkable growth in 2016. The subscriber base expanded from 623,000 at the end of 2015 to 2.3 million by the end of 2016, representing a net addition of 878,000 new subscribers in that year alone. By July 2016, Sling TV had already surpassed the 2 million subscriber mark, showcasing rapid market adoption.

Increased Market Leadership & Share

Our efforts rapidly differentiated Sling TV, helping it achieve an estimated 50% market share among online TV subscribers by the end of 2016, positioning it as the leading service in this segment. Furthermore, Sling TV became the nation’s sixth leading subscription streaming service overall(encompassing all streaming services, not just live TV), demonstrating broad competitive success.

Improved Customer Retention

In a typically high-churn OTT market characterized by the absence of long-term contracts, our targeted campaigns achieved impressive subscriber retention. By effectively addressing their specific needs and preferences through optimized user journeys and clear communication, our strategies helped mitigate churn within our growing subscriber base, making the achieved growth even more significant.

Successful Cross-Channel Integration

Demonstrated the effectiveness of a cohesive and consistent brand experience across multiple consumer touchpoints, ensuring a unified and strong brand presence.

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Sling TV Multi-Channel Advertising Campaign