Netflix’s Marketing Campaign for Gilmore Girls Dominates Social Media

For months now, Netflix has been teasing Gilmore Girls fans with promo photos and bits of info about the show’s return in “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life”, much to the delight of its cult-like following. The media company took its promotion to the next level yesterday with nationwide Luke’s diner activations.

Netflix partnered with more than 200 local coffee shops and bakeries around the country and converted them into Luke’s, the Gilmore Girls’ go-to diner, from 7 a.m. to noon. This included providing custom signage like in the show, the namesake proprietor’s signature look (flannel shirt and backwards blue baseball cap) for staffers, posters of the main stars, and branded coffee sleeves. Oh, and let’s not forget the most important part: thousands of free cups of coffee, the Gilmore’s favorite beverage.

While social media wasn’t a fixture on the show, (in fact, Luke didn’t allow cell phones in his diner) fans took to Facebook and Instagram to share their love, and engagement, with the promotion to astounding results.

Here’s a breakdown of the top performing hashtags:

#LukesDiner

• • Instagram posts: 32,626
  • Facebook posts: 43,101

#HappyBirthdayGilmore (The official hashtag)

• Instagram posts: 14,466
• Facebook posts: 1,000

#LukesDinerPopup

• • Instagram posts: 1,419
  • Facebook posts: 1,000

Here’s a look inside the activation at Three Fifty Bakery & Coffee Bar in Washington. To truly appreciate the insane engagement this received, you’ll have to check out the Live video over on our Facebook page.