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“Mall Rats” x Hot Topic

Hot Topic wanted to reclaim its alt edge.

So we launched Mall Rats`; Hot Topic's first ever original IP. We turned Hot Topic stores into the set for a social-first sitcom featuring Gen Z creator royalty. Each season brought the chaos, pulling creators from all corners of culture into an episodic collision of fandoms and subcultures.

Four seasons later, we’ve created a true entertainment franchise that Hot Topic’s fans genuinely anticipate and tune in for. The reception has been mental.

Season 1:

Inspired by classic Halloween B movie tropes. We trapped creators @kevincrowofficial, @elongatedmusk, @emilyriboflavin, @steyeuh, and @outtpig in a Hot Topic haunted house, each in a nightmare built to personally ruin them. Results: 1.5M views, 111k engagements, 3x engagement rate, and a 16%+ lift in site visits.

Season 2:

A Santa murder mystery set in the mall. We interrogated creators @duncannyounot, @SkoomaSkippa, @MelissaKristinTV, @Metronnade1, and @Lo3tus to hunt down the killer. Results: Season 2 went nuclear - 11M+ views, 19% ad recall, +7% preference lift, +6% unprompted awareness. Plus a SXSW panel off the back of it!

Season 3:

A body swap comedy, except the body is a new niche subculture. We had creators ‪@GraceReiter‬ ‪@_psyiconic_‬ ‪@PaigeAGallagher‬ ‪@blakeXmanning‬ ‪@cvnela‬, and ‪@Jashlem‬ wake up in each other’s fandoms, forced to defend what they’d normally shade. Results: numbers knocked the previous two seasons out of the water, but TBD on final report.

Season 4:

Premiering Winter 2026, with an all new cast of creators 👀

Client:

Hot Topic

Role:

ECD

Agency:

Small World

Type:

Original IP, Social, Entertainment