Bell Media’s Astral division has launched a creative promotional stunt for HBO’s The Last of Us season two. This initiative marks the team’s first major project since acquiring Outfront Media’s Canadian business, Outedge, and launching Astral’s new Special Projects unit.

In downtown Vancouver, where the series’ season 2 was filmed, the team created an immersive experience by transforming a bus shelter into a post-apocalyptic scene. With crumbling 3D elements and artificial vines and moss, the installation immerses passersby in the series’ gritty universe. The eye-catching display is complemented by a broader campaign featuring digital and print ads in major Canadian cities, including Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina and Winnipeg, as well as targeted social media ads.

A Bell Media spokesperson tells MiC the campaign’s KPIs go beyond viewership growth, focusing on boosting Crave brand awareness among adults aged 25 to 54. The goal is to engage Canadian viewers with an innovative OOH strategy, sparking interest among potential subscribers and driving conversions among new audiences.

The location strategy focuses on high-traffic settings with a demographic profile that aligns with the target audience. “This precise targeting, combined with the visually striking creative, maximizes the campaign’s efficiency in reaching potential subscribers within this key demographic,” the spokesperson says.

According to Bell, attracting this target group is important because with the success of the series’ first season, the audience has expanded beyond fans of the original video game, who were typically under the age of 25. The show has been a key driver for Crave’s streaming growth, with season two’s premiere drawing a 23% larger audience than season one’s, making it the platform’s third-highest season premiere ever.

The second season premiered April 13 on HBO and Crave.