Another part of the final season campaign included a special advance fan screening of the fifth season’s first episode at the Paris Theater on April 23 in Manhattan, followed by a Q&A with the cast.
“The fandom is palpable,” Gillyard said. “The cast is super devoted, and they all know it’s a send-off. They know that the fans are highly anticipating Season 5, but they’re also grappling with the fact that the show is coming to an end. We know how important it is to be able to catch and feel the show, and have real intimate and exciting moments, so we were excited to be able to deliver that for the fans.”
Fans who weren’t in Manhattan still had the opportunity to participate in the action. The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Brooklyn (and Los Angeles) hosted in-store scavenger hunts with prizes, including free merch and access to Tudum’s virtual fan screening from the Paris Theater. Black Pearl Books in Austin, Texas; Books & Books in Miami, Florida; and Booksmith in San Francisco all hosted similar scavenger hunt adventures, as well as access to the virtual screening.
Gillyard said the campaign for the fifth season really kicked off when the teaser trailer debuted on March 10. It then continued with a partnership with Cardi B, who reacted to the trailer.
And it’s all paid off. The streamer told ADWEEK that Season 5 has garnered over 800 million social impressions worldwide ahead of the premiere.
An impressionable You
According to Netflix, You has drawn more than 500 million global views since the show moved from Lifetime to Netflix in late 2018. In addition, You has made the global top 10 list for 31 weeks and reached the top 10 in all countries, per the streamer.
Netflix also announced that Seasons 2 through 4 have amassed over 1 billion impressions globally.
“A lot of times shows don’t increase in viewing every season,” Gillyard said. “We’ve been really successful at that—and every year there’s been different types of fan-forward approaches that we’ve taken on to keep the conversation going.”
The show is having an impact on book sales as well. Netflix shared that there was a 584% increase in sales for the first book following the premiere of the first season in 2018, as well as a 32% increase since the premiere of the fourth season in 2023. A year after the premiere of the first season, there was a 197% increase in sales of the first book.
