section_path: Release/Promotion
section_name: Promotion
paragraph_text: Promotion
  
  The Last of Us ' s marketing campaign utilised "breadcrumb content": small teases to maintain engagement. Emily Giannusa, HBO vice president of marketing, planned promotional material to prove faithfulness to the source but found it unnecessary as fans created it themselves. The marketing team conducted social listening from 2020 to identify non-gaming influencers interested in the series. HBO shared the first image of Pascal and Ramsey in costume in September 2021, followed by the first footage in a HBO Max trailer during the premiere of House of the Dragon in August 2022. The first teaser trailer was released in September, receiving over 17 million views in less than 24 hours and over 57 million organic views in 72 hours, the most-watched promotional video in HBO's history.
  
  The first full trailer was released at CCXP in December, when the promotional campaign "kick into high gear". Pascal, Ramsey, Baker, and Ashley Johnson presented at the Game Awards 2022 on December 8. A season trailer was released after the airing of the first episode on January 15. Pascal, Ramsey, Bartlett, and Offerman appeared on several talk shows to promote the series, and Pascal and Ramsey appeared on magazine covers. On January 27, the first episode was released for free on HBO Max in the United States, and on Sky's YouTube channel in the United Kingdom. Baker hosts a companion podcast alongside the series, featuring Mazin and Druckmann.
  
  For the second season, Sony Pictures Consumer Products partnered with several brands to match the narrative's themes and content. HBO shared images of Pascal and Ramsey in May 2024, the first footage in August, and the first trailer and posters in September. A trailer was released at Sony's Consumer Electronics Show presentation in January 2025, followed by character posters for Abby, Ellie, and Joel in February, and a full trailer at SXSW in March, receiving the most 72-hour views of any HBO and Max original trailer with 158 million views, a 160% increase from previous marketing. The worldwide press tour—including London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Sydney—ran from March 24 to April 13. Pascal, Ramsey, Mazino, Merced, and Dever appeared on talk shows and Ramsey and Merced on magazine covers.
  
  The Last of Us ' s marketing campaign utilised "breadcrumb content": small teases to maintain engagement. Emily Giannusa, HBO vice president of marketing, planned promotional material to prove faithfulness to the source but found it unnecessary as fans created it themselves. The marketing team conducted social listening from 2020 to identify non-gaming influencers interested in the series. HBO shared the first image of Pascal and Ramsey in costume in September 2021, followed by the first footage in a HBO Max trailer during the premiere of House of the Dragon in August 2022. The first teaser trailer was released in September, receiving over 17 million views in less than 24 hours and over 57 million organic views in 72 hours, the most-watched promotional video in HBO's history.
  
  The first full trailer was released at CCXP in December, when the promotional campaign "kick into high gear". Pascal, Ramsey, Baker, and Ashley Johnson presented at the Game Awards 2022 on December 8. A season trailer was released after the airing of the first episode on January 15. Pascal, Ramsey, Bartlett, and Offerman appeared on several talk shows to promote the series, and Pascal and Ramsey appeared on magazine covers. On January 27, the first episode was released for free on HBO Max in the United States, and on Sky's YouTube channel in the United Kingdom. Baker hosts a companion podcast alongside the series, featuring Mazin and Druckmann.
  
  For the second season, Sony Pictures Consumer Products partnered with several brands to match the narrative's themes and content. HBO shared images of Pascal and Ramsey in May 2024, the first footage in August, and the first trailer and posters in September. A trailer was released at Sony's Consumer Electronics Show presentation in January 2025, followed by character posters for Abby, Ellie, and Joel in February, and a full trailer at SXSW in March, receiving the most 72-hour views of any HBO and Max original trailer with 158 million views, a 160% increase from previous marketing. The worldwide press tour—including London, Los Angeles, Paris, and Sydney—ran from March 24 to April 13. Pascal, Ramsey, Mazino, Merced, and Dever appeared on talk shows and Ramsey and Merced on magazine covers.