The First of Us - The First Awake will be the Last Spoiled

Context

As the world prepared to watch the final episode of The Last of Us Season 2, HBO Max trusted us to create a moment worthy of the story's legacy: a true tribute to the fans who have felt every moment, every loss, every decision.

With over 110 million subscribers, HBO Max has rekindled the magic of weekly releases, turning each episode into a shared cultural moment. For the gaming community and beyond, this finale wasn't just another episode, it was a watershed moment. And for us, it was the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our deep connection to both streaming culture and fan communities.

Challenge

In the USA, episodes are released hours earlier, which leads to massive spoiler waves by the time French viewers wake up and check their phones. We found that 40% of spoilers appear on social media, and 71% of fans check their phones first thing in the morning, before they’ve even had a chance to watch.

So our mission was clear: protect this powerful story, and preserve the emotional impact HBO Max delivers each week.

Our Approach

Building on these insights, we imagined a unique experience that blended a live event, influencer engagement, social media, and fan culture. Our answer to the no-spoiler challenge was bold: organize the earliest screening in history. Introducing: The First of Us.

Over just three weeks, we partnered with HBO Max to bring this vision to life.

“For this first collaboration with Max, we drew on our deep expertise in gaming—particularly with The Last of Us—as well as our in-depth understanding of streaming platforms and audience behaviour. That dual lens inspired a unique concept: protect fans from spoilers with a dawn screening. Thanks to that approach, we pulled the entire operation together in under three weeks—from transforming MK2 into a post-apocalyptic cinema to curating the ideal influencer guest list,” said Marie Trocmé, Director of Business Development at Biborg.

Two exclusive screenings were held at MK2 Nation, entirely transformed for the occasion into a post-apocalyptic cinema. The doors opened at 7 a.m., offering fans the chance to be among the very first in France to witness the finale.

To give the community a chance to be part of this moment, we launched a dedicated social media campaign allowing fans to win their place at the screening. Guests were welcomed at dawn with breakfast provided by Starbucks, before immersing themselves in the final episode in the best possible conditions: together and spoiler-free.

To make the experience truly memorable, we reserved 18 hotel rooms at the MK2-owned Hotel Paradiso for select content creators the night before, allowing them to roll out of bed and attend the screening in their pajamas. The night before the event, each of them received a personalized survival pack, thoughtfully curated to help them survive the early wake-up call.

To amplify the experience, we partnered with HBO Max and Webedia to identify and invite passionate influencers. Leveraging our expertise, we curated and managed the gaming influencers, while HBO Max and Webedia oversaw the entertainment talent, ensuring authentic and organic coverage of the event across platforms from true fans of the series.

The comedian Baptiste Lecaplain was also here for a debrief at the end of the screening, interviewed by Renan Cros, host of the “Le Cercle Series” program on Canal+.

Influencer lineup Baptiste Lecaplain, Paul Deby, Antton Racca, Lyse Dia, Rhomin Guilhem, Jolidjo, Siphano, Lydia, Venus is Naive, Conkerax, Maxime Muscat, Roxane Cathelot, Avamind, Incarnants Ulyces, Laukinawa, Yoona, Trixy, Raumane, Domingo, and Rose Théron.

Results

• 11M Reach
• 3.4M Views
• 77 contents produced
• 190K EUR in Earned Media Value
• 450 wake-up ringtones, 17 snoozes