For Smile 2, our goal was to reinvent digital horror marketing by transforming Twitch into an immersive, influencer-led storytelling platform. Instead of traditional ads or influencer endorsements, we sought to turn streamers into unwitting protagonists in a real-time horror experience - leveraging their authentic reactions to drive organic engagement.
Recognizing that Gen Z and Millennial horror fans favour interactive entertainment over passive advertising - we strategically embedded Smile 2’s core horror motif (a sinister, contagious curse) into Twitch’s live Raid mechanic; allowing influencers to “infect” one another - creating a chilling daisy-chain effect.
Key Goals:
- Leverage influencers organically: Instead of scripted endorsements, influencers would unknowingly experience Smile 2’s horror elements, ensuring authentic reactions that resonated with audiences
- Create a shareable horror moment: Utilize Twitch’s Raid feature to pass the “curse” between streamers, sparking viral conversation
- Drive meaningful engagement: Move beyond metrics by tracking viewer retention, Twitch chat activity, and streamer participation, ensuring deep audience immersion
This was influencer-fuelled horror storytelling at its most ambitious; setting a new standard for digital film promotion.
To make Smile 2 a Twitch-first horror experience; we crafted a live, evolving nightmare - adapted to each influencer’s unique stream.
A New Kind of Interactive Horror
Instead of hiring influencers to promote the film through pre-scripted content, we turned streamers into Horror victims - activating participants who were trapped in a terrifying, real-time narrative.
- Bespoke “Terror Toolkit” for Streamers
- Each influencer received a custom horror admin panel for producers to control at random moment, which included VFX glitches, sound cues, and movie footage jump scare overlays
- An admin-controlled dashboard allowed real-time activation of jump scares, ensuring unpredictability
- Twitch Raids as a Horror Mechanic
- When a "cursed" streamer ended their broadcast, they “Raided” another influencer, passing the “Smile curse” live on air. This created an organic, must-watch event, as fans followed the curse across multiple Twitch channels, eager to see what happened next!
- Integrated Gameplay Elements
- Streamers played as Call of Duty Smile 2-branded skins and weapon -embedding the film into real-time gameplay
Challenges & Solutions
- Unscripted Content Risks: Since streamers weren’t briefed on what would happen, reactions were unpredictable. This was mitigated by selecting horror-savvy influencers comfortable with live scares
- Maintaining Suspense Across Multiple Streams: Our admin panel controlled the pacing of scares to ensure consistent tension, preventing the audience from becoming desensitised
- Keeping It Organic: Rather than forcing participation, we let word-of-mouth spread the event naturally, amplifying reach without feeling over-produced
This wasn’t just a sponsored stream or ad - this was a true real-time horror event, where influencers became both the audience and the victims!
Execution
The live stunt was executed in three distinct phases:
- Seeding the Curse: Streamers reacted live to the haunting Smile 2 trailer, unknowingly inviting the entity into their streams
- Unleashing Chaos: Producers remotely triggered eerie distortions, jump scares, and unsettling sound effects at unpredictable moments, making the curse feel real
- Passing the Curse: At the climax, the infected streamer raided another Twitch channel, spreading the curse to a new audience and continuing the cycle
We also included interactive call-to-actions where scannable QR code banners appeared during streams, leading viewers to a geo-located ticketing platform for Smile 2 showtimes, without disrupting the immersion.
The Smile 2 Twitch Terror Raid set a new benchmark for influencer-driven horror marketing, breaking records for engagement, and redefining how film campaigns can live in the streaming world.
Eerie Engagement & Reach:
- The World’s Longest Continuous Twitch Raid: three interconnected streams set a new record for the longest continuous Twitch Raid, strengthening streaming connections, and introducing audiences to different channels
- 650K+ Total Live Views: Audiences followed the curse across multiple streams, generating sustained engagement.
- 14K+ “Smile” Mentions Per Stream: Twitch chats exploded with real-time reactions - #Smile2 and “WTF” became trending keywords
- 295K+ TikTok Views from Stream Highlights: Fans eagerly shared their favourite scares, extending the campaign’s lifecycle
Organic Influencer Buy-In:
- Influencers genuinely embraced the stunt, creating unscripted viral moments that felt authentic to their audiences
- Streamers competed to pass the curse, transforming participation into a sought-after event
Real-World Impact:
- Smile 2 achieved a record-breaking $137M global box office, with top openings in 13 major markets
- The Twitch Terror Raid reached diverse horror fans where they were / are, and made ticketing more accessible; driving real-world conversions
The stunt helped to rewrote the Horror playbook showing how movie studios can authentically engage audiences through interactive storytelling across multiple platforms.
