Recommended By Humans
We Fought the Algorithm with Humanity
Our insights team ran a series of qualitative and quantitative research studies. The studies revealed two basic truths:
- Television streamers are tired big data and bad algorithmic recommendations, and;
- Television streamers’ favorite shows are generally those recommended by their peers

With these insights in mind, our agency team created the Recommended by Humans campaign. Collaborating with HBO and award-winning documentarian Alison Klayman, we developed 36 long-form video recommendations, as well as a human-powered recommendation engine. Streamers immediately gained access to hundreds of recommendations from real fans, with the opportunity to watch the first episode of every human-recommended show for free. We promoted these assets with paid and organic content, spurring fan participation across the globe.
