We partnered with Peacock to lead award campaigns for The Traitors, a genre-defying competition series that merges cinematic spectacle with reality drama, for each of its first 3 seasons. Following campaigns that garnered voters' attention and put the show on the map from awards perspective, season 3 provided us a unique challenge: sustaining success while also presenting a show that is still pushing boundaries. Through a bold creative strategy and elevated design approach, our campaign for Season 3 helped to position Peacock’s marquee reality title as a prestige property within a very competitive Unscripted television landscape. Our evolution for Season 3 paid off: the campaign helped drive awards recognition, with The Traitors winning all five of its nominated categories at the Emmys.
When The Traitors arrived, it was immediately clear the series stood apart from other contenders in the reality competition series category. With lush costume design, cinematic sets against the Scottish Highlands, and the incomparable Alan Cumming as host, the show demanded a campaign that celebrated its artistry and elevated tone while still competing among reality juggernauts like The Amazing Race, Top Chef, and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Our challenge was to translate the prestige of a competition series into a campaign that would captivate both awards voters and audiences alike.
After screening the series and conducting a competitive analysis, our team identified four creative pillars to guide the campaign: Alan Cumming’s performance as host, Cinematic Production Value, Period Design and the games/participants. With these, our roadmap was set, and we began ideating on our creative approach.
Alan Cumming: As the host of the show, Cumming is a perennial cornerstone of our creative. His performance transcends traditional hosting, and his commanding presence, impeccable wardrobe, and distinctive humor offer endless creative potential. He is a recognizable entry point for those who aren’t familiar with the show and as an acclaimed performer on the stage and screen he adds a layer of prestige that is not usually seen within the Reality TV ecosystem. We established an internal mandate to feature Alan in every placement. His wardrobe variety not only provided visual diversity but also allowed us to celebrate costume design and craftsmanship in each execution.
Cinematic Production Value: Filmed in a 19th-century Scottish castle, The Traitors looks and feels like a feature film. We treated the setting as a character in itself, using the richly detailed sets to position the series as best-in-class within the reality competition genre. This approach allowed us to present the show to voters as a production on par with high-budget period dramas.
Period Design Meets Modern Sensibility. For this season we strived to create a cohesive design language that reflected the show’s “modern world-meets-period” aesthetic. We developed a palette and typography system that complemented Alan’s vibrant wardrobe and production design while maintaining a clean, elevated layout. Copy and critic quotes were kept minimal, allowing the show’s striking imagery to speak for itself.
Let the Games Begin For Season 3, we expanded the campaign’s focus to highlight the vibrant cast of contestants and the intense challenges they face throughout the competition. With the season’s premiere breaking viewership records, audiences were already familiar with the format—and many had their favorite players to cheer for. Our campaign leaned into that familiarity, emphasizing the show’s spirit of competition, intrigue, and betrayal that keeps viewers hooked.
The contestants brought a relatable, everyman quality that balanced Alan’s larger-than-life presence as host, grounding the series’ larger spectacle. By showcasing the inventive new challenges, we also reinforced that even three seasons in, the show continues to evolve—raising the stakes with fresh twists, daring designs, and bold storytelling that keeps audiences coming back for more.
The integrated campaign spanned out-of-home, print, digital, and social media placements, uniting all creative under one cinematic yet playful visual world. Every touchpoint was designed to capture the series’ distinctive tone - sophisticated, mysterious, and witty – while simultaneously reinforcing Peacock’s position as a home for prestige storytelling.
Our partnership with Peacock on The Traitors demonstrates how thoughtful creative strategy, bold visual storytelling, and cinematic execution can redefine expectations for unscripted television—transforming it from entertainment into art, and from competition into cultural conversation.
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