Paramount+ is buying up more real estate in Roku City to promote SpongeBob SquarePants ahead of the popular series’ 25th anniversary.
Paramount and Roku have partnered on an immersive campaign that will include an animated vehicle parade on Roku’s screensaver, Roku City, featuring SpongeBob, Patrick Star and Squidward, traveling in front of some of Bikini Bottoms landmarks, including SpongeBob’s pineapple house, Squidward’s home and more. Paramount+ is the first entertainment brand to use the animated cars on Roku.
The campaign also includes a takeover of the Roku home screen with an animated theme, in another first for Roku, which directs viewers to SpongeBob content on Paramount+.
The animated parade and Bikini Bottom landmarks in Roku City begin July 10, while the home screen takeover is slated to appear July 14.
Paramount+ was the first entertainment company to advertise within Roku City last year. The goal with these advertising placements, per Roku, is to bring greater awareness to the advertiser’s company or streaming platform, as about 120 million users see the Roku home screen a day.
“Our partnership is always about, at the end of the day, driving to content on the platform,” said Jon Goodstadt, head of global ad sales, media & entertainment at Roku.
“I think a partner like Roku and connected devices overall are really important because it does allow the ability to really be full funnel, where you drive awareness, but then, because people are coming to the devices to decide what they want to watch next, we’re also able to really drive, consideration, and ultimately that decision to stream Paramount+,” added Domenic DiMeglio, head of marketing & data for Paramount Streaming.
Additionally, DiMeglio said the goal is to promote one of Paramount’s strongest franchises in a creative campaign that can speak to the fandom around SpongeBob. Paramount+ will also have a larger campaign for SpongeBob that includes a big presence at San Diego Comic Con.
“It’s an amazing franchise with a really devoted and passionate fandom,” DiMeglio said.
The push for Paramount+ also comes amid a shakeup at its parent company, with Skydance set to take over control, assuming the deal is approved by regulators and a better bid does not emerge. That deal is expected to close in the first half of 2025. Skydance CEO David Ellison and former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, who would be Paramount’s president when the deal closes, have said they want Paramount+ to be the “winner” in streaming, which they say can be achieved via potential partnerships.
