viewers like y’all.

For SXSW 2026, RED VELVET helped PBS transform its most recognizable campaign “Viewers Like You” into a living portrait of its audience as “Viewers Like Y’all.” Attendees became part of the story, turning a familiar brand message into a collective expression of connection and belonging.

Experience Production

B2C Experiential Activation

Photography & Videography Capture

Post-Production Social Media Deliverables

42.6k+

impressions on social media

4.1k+

polaroids printed

2.9k

pieces of custom merch passed out

context.

For decades, PBS has been built on a simple truth: the stories matter because of the people who experience them. At SXSW 2026, PBS brought that idea to life with “Viewers Like Y’all,” a playful Texas-inspired evolution of its iconic Viewers Like You campaign.

Set within the Congress Avenue Block Party, the activation invited attendees to step into the PBS silhouette and become part of a collective portrait. Rather than creating a traditional brand moment designed to be observed, PBS created a space designed to be contributed to.

Guests captured their side-profile portrait, personalized a Polaroid with a handwritten note, and added their image to a growing photo wall that evolved throughout the event. Each contribution became a small piece of a larger story, celebrating the viewers, communities, and connections that have shaped PBS for generations.

the ask.

SXSW audiences are naturally curious, but with thousands of brands competing for attention, meaningful engagement requires more than a visually impressive setup. PBS wanted to create an experience that felt authentic to its legacy while connecting with a modern, culturally engaged audience.

The challenge was to translate an iconic brand message into an approachable, participatory moment that encouraged attendees to slow down, engage, and see themselves reflected in PBS.

The experience needed to feel unmistakably PBS: welcoming, thoughtful, and community-driven, while still being simple enough to work within the fast-moving environment of SXSW. Every interaction needed to have purpose, rewarding guests for participating while reinforcing the idea that PBS exists because of its viewers.

solution.

RED VELVET transformed the PBS silhouette from a recognizable logo into a living, evolving installation powered by audience participation.

The journey was intentionally simple: guests were welcomed into the space, stepped into the silhouette for a profile photo, received two Polaroids, personalized one with a note about their story, and contributed it to the growing wall. In under five minutes, each visitor created both a personal keepsake and a piece of a larger collective portrait.

Street team ambassadors and PBS Kids characters extended the invitation beyond the footprint, creating moments of discovery along Congress Avenue. Thoughtful giveaways, including PBS-branded shirts and posters, carried the experience beyond the event.

The result was a physical expression of PBS’s enduring relationship with its audience. Thousands of portraits, notes, and interactions came together to show exactly what the campaign has always celebrated: viewers like y’all.

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