Muthana Sweis, a student at Marist High School in Chicago, took two dates to his junior prom—and one of them was Netflix.
In a January tweet, the 17-year-old asked the company if it would accompany him on March 29 if his request got 1,000 retweets. (He probably asked Netflix because everyone knows that Comcast is taking Time Warner this year.) Netflix agreed, raising the question of how exactly a streaming service goes on a date.
Hey @netflix if this gets 1,000 retweets will you go to my junior prom with me?— Muthana Sweis (@muthanasweis) January 30, 2014 We said yes! We’re third wheeling to #Prom2014 with @muthanasweis and his date: https://t.co/0AQKYrljxj— Netflix US (@netflix) March 28, 2014In the end, the site's accompaniment consisted of providing a tuxedo, car and chauffeur based on movies and TV shows it carries. Sweis chose a classy James Bond Skyfall tux and a classic '50s Buick from Grease, along with John Travolta's character as his driver. (Breaking Bad's mobile meth lab was among the vehicle choices. Too bad Sweis didn't pick that one and really get the prom cooking.)
Beyond being a fun way for the brand to build buzz by leveraging its connection with fans, the episode reflects how deeply media have become woven into the fabric of our lives. Film content informed key aspects of the evening, there's a nod to Samsung's Oscar selfie, and the whole thing played out on social channels. It's especially telling that Sweis approached Netflix in the first place, tapping into our shared media experience to write his script for the prom.
