On Sunday, March 1, Fox premieres the one-man sitcom The Last Man on Earth. As of now, the show stars only Will Forte, necessitating a unique spoiler-guarded marketing campaign.

Fox started its campaign in December, airing spots during NFL Sundays, but mid-January marked the beginning of a six-week-long media blitz. At first, “our focus was really on this wish fulfillment aspect, setting it up so that people could buy into the idea that Phil Miller truly is the last man on earth,” says Laurel Bernard, Fox executive VP of marketing.

As the launch approaches, “the focus has gotten a little bit broader. We’re starting to make more promises on what is in his future. But we’re being very careful not to give anything away, because it’s too much fun and too important for the viewer to discover the storyline in the right time,” she says.

Bernard admits Last Man’s “super atypical” high concept presents a stiff test. “It’s really hard for us to find anything to compare it to.” This offers opportunity: “[It’s] great, exciting, and a little bit scary, because we’re not following a linear path the way you’d normally carry out a comedy campaign. But we’re really sort of embracing that the pacing is different, it looks different and that’s kind of what people expect from Fox to a certain degree. We’re willing to take that risk. But yeah it’s hard, because we know how it rolls out.” The biggest challenge, Bernard believes, is “not revealing that.”

The campaign revolves around Will Forte’s face. He is “the singular focus of everything; the challenge is to keep finding new ways to present him so that it stays intriguing and interesting. He’s got such a great face, and he’s so expressive, that there’s just a lot of stuff to mine.”

Thankfully, the actor has proven to be “the greatest salesman for this show.”

He’s certainly been busy. Forte recorded a radio spot, and his character relays directions in the Waze traffic app. You’ll find Forte’s face on college campuses, in coffee shops and various community centers in top markets around the country. Fox has created and distributed faux hand-drawn flyers emblazoned with the plea “Anyone out there?” advertising a phone number (520-428-1174) on its pull tabs, which generates a rambling, desperate message from Phil. Sometimes Forte even answers the call.

Fox’s biggest stunt is its #LastStuffonEarth traveling vending machines, making appearances in Hollywood, Boston, New York and Seattle leading up to the premiere. Afterwards, the machines make Dallas their home from March 6 to 12 before arriving in Austin for SXSW. Every machine dispenses life-sustaining supplies like Twinkies, Slim Jim’s and $250 American Airlines gift cards. On premiere day, one lucky fan in Boston and Seattle will win the $5,000 “fly anywhere” grand prize.

Online and on social media, Fox has focused on seeding the many different ways Phil approaches being the last man. On Instagram, Fox is implementing the Amplify ad-buy program, utilizing high profile posters to promote the show. The hashtags for the promotion are #iamthelastman and #iamthelastwoman as Fox seeks answers to the question: What would you do if you were the last person on earth? Fox’s talent have filmed spots with their answers.

Fox’s redesigned website for the show is fashioned like a blog, with an emphasis on shareables, such as a Fifty Shades of Grey parody poster.

Fox has teamed with Buzzfeed for a series of articles, including the 12 reasons to procreate with The Last Man on Earth. Fox’s campaign mirrors the goofy nature of the show, sending baskets of Twinkies to their affiliates, and creating sarcastic e-cards for Valentine’s Day and beyond.

That comedic voice is what brought the show to Sundays, joining Brooklyn Nine-Nine alongside their Animation Domination lineup. This decision was made because “Last Man on Earth has a lot of the same comedic chops. Brooklyn is smart and sassy and this show is as well. [Last Man will] fit really well with the surreal nature of our animation and the offbeat way that Brooklyn approaches things.”

Premiere week publicity tour is in full swing. Forte appeared on Tuesday’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, and guests on Thursday’s Late Night With Seth Meyers. On the day of the premiere, Fox will litter its NASCAR coverage with spots. The cast and producers will be live-tweeting the two-part pilot premiere from the wrap party for both east and west coast airings. Fox will be posting shareables timed to the show’s big reveals.

Fox is excited to move on from its current strategy. “As much fun as we’ve had showcasing Will leading up to this launch, we’re getting ready for a very interesting post-launch campaign,” Bernard says. This is unique to Last Man, as “a lot of times you don’t focus on that so much. You have to continue to promote the show, but you’re just promoting it episodically. Whereas this one is going to feel like it’s new, fresh, [constantly evolving].” By week three, “we can be more free flowing about what to expect in the future,” opening things up for Fox’s marketing team.

Despite the risk, “People are getting it. We’re seeing a lot of adoption. One of the things we look at is how much people realize it’s on Fox versus another network [and] the connection to Fox is really strong. That’s always a good sign.”

Fox has asked the question, “What would you do if you were The Last Man on Earth?” America answers Sunday, March 1 at 9 p.m.

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