Sky Ireland has tapped media planning and buying agency MediaCom Ireland to help promote the launch of The Last of Us, the HBO live-action series adapted from the blockbuster PlayStation game.

The post-apocalyptic drama starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey is now airing on Sky Atlantic and streaming on NOW, with MediaCom launching a teaser campaign in December to build anticipation for the series.

The campaign drove early conversation about and interest in the show by showcasing the trailer across key social and video channels.

The main advertising campaign for the series launched last Monday (9 January) targeting potential viewers aged over 25 with an interest in sci-fi, horror and gaming. The first episode aired on Monday (16 January).

“The Last of Us launch has created a fantastic buzz around the MediaCom office, particularly amongst our avid gaming and horror fans," said Dominick Holmes, head of performance with MediaCom Ireland.

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"Within the launch campaign we were able to bring to Sky several exciting new digital innovations to showcase the series.

"Utilising the amazing creative assets provided to us, we were able to speak to fans and key communities in targeted, engaging environments. Launch day was a great tonic to January’s Blue Monday.”

MediaCom launched a national advertising campaign across multiple formats, including TV and broadcaster video-on-demand (BVOD) as well as high-impact press executions and out-of-home (OOH).

The activity was supported by innovative and immersive digital executions including a Snapchat AR lens, a video switch format with Playground XYZ, and bespoke executions across TikTok, Reddit and Instagram.

In the US, The Last of Us attracted 4.7m cross-platform viewers when it premiered on Sunday night, according to Nielsen, making it HBO's second-biggest launch in the past decade, trailing only Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

Photo: An advertisement for The Last of Us. (Pic: MediaCom Ireland)