How brands got involved in the “Doctor Who” conversation

By
Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Saturday night was a big TV and Twitter moment as the BBC aired Peter Capaldi’s first outing as the new “Doctor Who,” and fans took to the Twitter with 134,990 Tweets about the debut.

For a programme with a wide appeal and global reach, it represents an opportunity for brands to contribute to the conversation on Twitter.

When @bbcdoctorwho launched season eight, it created a huge buzz of publicity as Capaldi and his co-star @Jenna_Coleman_ appeared in Parliament Square.

Many including the nearby historic Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) spotted the arrival of the Time Lord and his companion in Central London.

The Tardis is packed with technology and gadgets collected from across time and space, but does he have one of these?

With the Tardis famed for being so much bigger on the inside than it is on the outside, occasionally finding things inside its many rooms has to be an issue. @GoogleMaps has a suggestion with a tour inside the famous police box.

While @KiaUK admits its new Kia “Soul” isn’t quite a Tardis, it does have something in common with it.

@JamiesFoodTube created a Tardis cake that, while not bigger on the inside, looks not unlike the real thing.

Similarly, @TescoFood would have us believe that the Doctor can travel in sponge as well as space.

Any major TV event where there is plenty of anticipation and buzz presents a chance to launch a competition. People love to win merchandise as several brands demonstrated well with @bbcdoctorwho including @PuffinBooks and @CurzonCinemas among others:

With a high volume of conversation and a peak of 3,338 Tweets per minute (TPM), there were many highlights throughout the debut. But one of the final moments shared by @bbcdoctorwho attracted more than 5,000 Tweets, further highlighting how great TV moments make for great Tweets.