Introduced ahead of Bray Wyatt’s blockbuster return to WWE, the White Rabbit Project was met with a resoundingly positive reception. Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, and Nick Khan’s decision to leave the secret up to fans to discuss amongst themselves proved successful, each message dropping hints at what was to come.
The end goal was the aforementioned comeback of Bray Wyatt. Wyatt’s popularity has remained at its peak for almost a full month now, believed to be the number one babyface on Friday Night SmackDown and a top merchandise seller.
Triple H And Stephanie McMahon Tease Future Multimedia Campaigns
Discussing the White Rabbit Project during WWE’s Q3 earnings call, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque and Stephanie McMahon noted how successful the campaign had been. Stephanie, in particular, highlighted the campaign’s success as being due to the newfound optimism within WWE creative:
“As a backdrop to the strong financial performance for the quarter, the renewed energy around our creative has boosted viewership across platforms. In a world of declining television ratings, WWE is growing. Just before the close of Q3, the September 23 episode of SmackDown saw its biggest audience since 2020.
That rating, in particular, is directly attributable to a first-of-its-kind multimedia campaign called the ‘White Rabbit Project,’ which was designed to engage and intrigue viewers through a series of clues and cues, using a myriad of platforms and technology. One of which led to SmackDown on September 23 as a destination.”
Adding to the discussion, Paul Levesque detailed some of the numbers associated with Bray Wyatt’s return and the project behind it, noting a stark increase in viewership:
“We started the campaign by introducing moments into our live events. In arenas with no mention of our direct digital or social or linear platforms. We let our fans discuss it amongst themselves, and try to figure out what was going on.
Bray Wyatt’s return at Extreme Rules resulted in a 30 percent increase in total viewership, and became the most watched Extreme Rules in history. Monday Night Raw just two nights later also benefited, increasing our audience to nearly two million, up 14 percent week over week.
The WWE White Rabbit Project is a perfect example of how we can use a multimedia approach to drive engagement, excitement, and ultimately revenue. Look for us to do more of these strategic creative stunts that extend storylines to different platforms and are executed beyond just our traditional television windows.”
Bray Wyatt is currently positioned on the SmackDown roster. His current arc saw him confronted by Uncle Howdy on the October 28 blue brand broadcast, with speculation running rampant on social media linking Howdy to Bray’s real-life uncle Barry Windham.