Once considered the exclusive domain of such events as South by Southwest and Comic-Con, the Consumer Electronics Show has now — apparently — adopted a similar philosophy when it comes to showcasing entertainment.
This week, the world’s largest technology trade show plays host to streaming goliath Netflix, which brought former “Game of Thrones” producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss along with co-producer Alexander Woo (The Terror: Infamy, True Blood) to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The TV producers formally unveiled their newest project, “3 Body Problem,” a sci-fi drama series based on the novel of the same name by author Liu Cixin.
As described by the Netflix promotional team, “3 Body Problem” centers around “a young woman’s fateful decision in 1960s China (that) reverberates across space and time into the present day. When the laws of nature inexplicably unravel before their eyes, a close-knit group of brilliant scientists join forces with an unflinching detective to confront the greatest threat in humanity’s history.”
The Netflix series world premiere trailer was delivered through a 4D activation, with a head-mounted display and motion-action seats, bringing the program’s overall concept to life in a fully interactive way.
Netflix framed the activation as “an otherworldly headset” that “will transport CES attendees into the mysterious world of 3 Body Problem in a fun and experiential way, showcasing the series’ genre-bending high stakes. The experience reflects the underlying theme of the series in which a gaming headset is used by characters to transport into an unknown world.”
But why use CES as its launchpad?
“There’s so much that’s tech-forward about this show, and it’s not just about current technology but future technology that doesn’t seem even plausible within the next hundred years,” Woo said. “It felt that this would be a great place to tease that part of the show. … The theme of technology and what’s possible now versus what’s possible down the line is a big theme of our show.”
For Benioff, the CES “3 Body Problem” activation is serving as his maiden voyage.
“This is my first time at CES and I’m excited to walk around and see all the exciting things the show has to offer,” he said. “We’ve been to Comic-Con a couple of times and that’s really exciting, but I’m very much looking forward to our upcoming premiere at SXSW, which I’ve never attended before either.”
A more formalized launch as SXSW certainly makes sense, given that the music, film, comedy and interactive festival in Austin, Texas, will unfold just two weeks prior to the show’s premiere.
The first eight episodes of “3 Body Problem,” featuring actors John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Jess Hong (The Brokenwood Mysteries) and Sea Shimooka (Arrow), will drop simultaneously on March 21.
In addition to the “3 Body Problem” activation, housed in a massive exhibit space in the show’s Central Hall, Netflix will have a major presence at other locations including the Aria Resort & Casino, which houses the C-Space entertainment and marketing pavilion, the CES gathering space for brands, advertising, marketing and social media professionals.
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