Wheel of Time: Tailored Tactiqs Boosts Aghdashloo as Elaida Sedai

Client Overview

Shohreh Aghdashloo, an Emmy-winning actress renowned for her commanding presence and distinctive voice, and a long-time client, was cast as Elaida Sedai in The Wheel of Time Season 3, a flagship series on Amazon Prime Video. With a passionate global fanbase and a strong social media presence, Shohreh aimed to amplify her Wheel of Time casting announcement to maximize excitement among fans and elevate her visibility in the entertainment industry.

Tailored Tactiqs was tasked with managing her social media, conducting social media listening, and creating a strategic social media campaign in collaboration with Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television to drive fan engagement and showcase Shohreh Aghdashloo as Elaida Sedai, also known as Elaida do Avriny a’Roihan.

Challenge

To harness the organic enthusiasm of The Wheel of Time fans, who had passionately campaigned for Shohreh Aghdashloo to portray Elaida Sedai, and transform it into a high-impact social media campaign. Tailored Tactiqs needed to engage the fervent Wheel of Time fanbase, coordinate closely with Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television, and create compelling behind-the-scenes content that aligned with the show’s aesthetic and marketing goals while boosting Shohreh’s social media presence.

Goals

The primary goals of the marketing campaign were to:

• Amplify Casting Announcement: Generate buzz around Shohreh Aghdashloo’s casting to increase anticipation for The Wheel of Time Season 3 on Amazon Prime Video.
• Engage Fans: Foster a deeper connection with the Wheel of Time fanbase by leveraging fan-driven momentum and encouraging active fan engagement.
• Increase Social Media Reach: Grow Shohreh Aghdashloo’s social media following and engagement across platforms like X, Instagram, and Facebook.
• Align with Studio Objectives: Deliver behind-the-scenes content that seamlessly integrated with Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television’s marketing strategies for The Wheel of Time.

Constraints

The collaboration faced the following constraints:

• Tight Timeline: The social media campaign needed to align with the production schedule and release dates of The Wheel of Time Season 3, requiring rapid content creation and deployment.
• Brand Alignment: All content had to adhere to the visual and thematic standards of The Wheel of Time, as set by Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television.
• Fan Expectations: The campaign needed to meet the high expectations of the dedicated Wheel of Time fanbase while avoiding spoilers and maintaining the show’s mystique.

Tailored Approach

We crafted a data-driven, fan-centric social media campaign that leveraged Shohreh Aghdashloo’s casting as Elaida Sedai to drive fan engagement and visibility. The approach included:

Project Highlights

Viral Launch with “Welcome to Prague!” Video

To ignite the Wheel of Time campaign, we released a 30-second video that transported viewers to Prague, where Shohreh Aghdashloo explored iconic landmarks with a warm smile. Filmed by Dennis Quast at the invitation of The Wheel of Time showrunner Rafe Judkins, the video used rich, saturated colors and adventurous music to mirror the show’s fantasy aesthetic. The reveal of Shohreh as Elaida Sedai was paired with three character poster posts and a short clip of her and Kae Alexander’s post-rehearsal banter, driving 500,000 views and amplifying anticipation across X, Instagram, and Facebook.

Fan Connection with “Becoming Elaida” Short Film

This 5-minute video, filmed by Dennis Quast in Prague, offered an intimate behind-the-scenes look at Shohreh Aghdashloo’s transformation into Elaida Sedai. Combining costume fitting, hair, and makeup footage with her first day on set, it featured Shohreh’s reflective voice-over. Achieving over 1 million views with a high completion rate, the video captivated The Wheel of Time fans, deepening their investment in Shohreh’s portrayal of the character.

Sustained Momentum with Episode-Specific Posts

To maintain excitement throughout The Wheel of Time Season 3, we released four behind-the-scenes posts after key episodes, featuring photos and videos by Dennis Quast. Highlighting Shohreh Aghdashloo’s Elaida Sedai performance, these posts sustained fan engagement across X, Instagram, and Facebook without spoilers.

Top Creative Performers

Results

The social media campaigns achieved the following:

• Fanbase Growth: Shohreh Aghdashloo’s social media following increased by 50,000 across X, Instagram, and Facebook, with a 200% boost in engagement rates for The Wheel of Time content.
• Campaign Reach: The #TwitterOfTime hashtag trended on X for three days, while the social media campaign’s video series garnered 3 million views.
• Engagement Surge: Fan-driven content resulted in an increase in fan engagement, with thousands of fan-created posts, including memes, fan art, and GIFs related to Shohreh Aghdashloo and her character.

Tailored Tactiqs transformed the casting of Shohreh Aghdashloo as Elaida Sedai into a viral social media campaign, offering fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse that they reportedly hadn’t seen before.

This campaign significantly increased Shohreh’s visibility, enhanced fan engagement with The Wheel of Time, and delivered impressive results for Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Television.