Netflix has built its reputation on bold storytelling, but one of its most surprising “stories” didn’t happen on screen. It happened live on television. In an interview with The Drum, Jordan Peters, Senior Director of Marketing Partnerships EMEA at Netflix, revealed how the company orchestrated a real-time heist stunt during Spain’s New Year’s broadcast to promote Money Heist spin-off character Berlin.
The campaign didn’t just promote a show. It turned a national live event into a piece of immersive storytelling, proving how far Netflix is willing to go to dominate cultural moments.
The Live TV Heist That Stunned Spain
At the center of Peters’ interview is what he describes as one of the most ambitious campaigns Netflix has ever executed. The idea was simple in concept but extremely risky in execution. During Spain’s widely watched New Year’s Eve countdown, presenter Cristina Pedroche appeared to lose her tiara on live television.
What viewers didn’t realize at that moment was that this was all part of a carefully planned stunt. Peters explained that the reveal came moments later in an ad break, where Berlin, the fan-favorite thief from Money Heist, was shown escaping with the tiara hidden in a bucket of ice alongside a beer.
Reflecting on the campaign, Peters admitted just how high-stakes it was. He said it
“relied on some carefully orchestrated timing in a very high-profile cultural moment,”
adding that the reaction across Spain was “pretty spectacular.” The execution blurred the line between reality and fiction, making audiences feel like they had witnessed a real heist unfold live.
Why This Was More Than Just a Marketing Gimmick
What makes this stunt stand out is not just its scale, but how seamlessly it fit into the world of the show. Berlin is known for his theatrical, high-risk heists, and the campaign extended that personality into the real world. Instead of telling audiences to watch the show, Netflix made them feel like they were already part of it.
This aligns with Peters’ broader philosophy on partnerships. He stresses that Netflix does not treat these campaigns as simple promotional tools. Instead, they are designed to feel like extensions of the story itself. That is why the stunt worked so effectively. It was not an ad interrupting a cultural moment. It became the cultural moment.
The Risk Factor Behind Netflix’s Bold Strategy
Pulling off something like this is not just about creativity. It also requires a willingness to take risks that most brands would avoid. Live television leaves no room for error, and any misstep could have backfired publicly.
Peters’ comments suggest that Netflix embraces this pressure as part of its strategy. By inserting itself into unpredictable, real-world moments, the company creates campaigns that audiences cannot ignore. This is a sharp contrast to traditional advertising, which often plays it safe and ends up being forgettable.
His experience across major entertainment brands like James Bond and Spider-Man also reinforces this mindset. Big cultural impact rarely comes from safe ideas, and Netflix appears to be doubling down on that belief.
