Netflix is going all out for Squid Game season 2—and you’re about to feel it

Netflix really wants you to know that Squid Game season 2 is coming. The second season of its most-watched show ever drops on December 26, and Netflix is pulling off one of its boldest marketing campaigns yet to make sure fans are ready.

The stakes are high. In 2021, Squid Game became a global phenomenon, smashing records and making history as the first non-English show to win an Emmy. But three years have passed since then—a long gap, especially in today’s crowded streaming landscape where new, high-end shows compete for attention every week. Netflix knows it needs to recapture the magic of season 1, and it’s doing so with a massive, eye-catching campaign that perfectly reflects the high-stakes world of Squid Game.

Creator Hwang Dong-hyuk has been through the wringer to make it happen. He's lost eight teeth from the stress of the first season alone, and he's had to write and shoot seasons two and three back-to-back. "Just the sheer physical volume of it all was very intense," he said in an interview with Time magazine. What started as a planned one-off series has turned into a 12-year journey to create South Korea's most valuable TV property.

Now Netflix is pulling out all the stops with eye-catching promotions across Asia. The world’s largest Young-hee doll is making waves on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river [image below], while Taiwan’s hosting its own 13-meter giant at Kaohsiung Pier, complete with a drone light show.

The world's largest Young-hee doll is cruising Bangkok's Chao Phraya river, while Taiwan's got a 13-meter giant lighting up Kaohsiung pier with drone shows. Photo: Netflix

Young-hee cruising through Sydney Harbour. Photo: Netflix

"Squid Game has demonstrated the growing global popularity of non-English series, and these fans want fun and innovative ways to connect with the stories they love," Shilpa Singh, Netflix's senior director of Partnership & Integrated Marketing APAC, tells Campaign Asia-Pacific. "With the return of this landmark Korean series, our approach is to create fan-forward partnerships that bring even more joy to viewers all across the Asia Pacific, and around the world, while enabling brands to engage in multiple ways across Netflix."

When it comes to brand collaborations, Netflix isn’t leaving anything to chance: Knorr India is launching Korean ramen [video below], Jinro's creating special edition soju, and Olive Young's releasing Squid Game beauty products. Even Kakao Friends is getting in on the action with cute character collections.

Meanwhile, Manila's Christmas market resembles a Young-hee playground, Kuala Lumpur's stations host ddakji games, and Sydney's Bondi Icebergs Pool stages live 'Red Light, Green Light' games, whlie Young-hee herself has cruised through Sydney Harbour.

But there’s more at play here than flashy activations and clever brand partnerships. The stakes for Squid Game season 2 are personal, both for Netflix and for its creator, Hwang Dong-hyuk. After the runaway success of season 1, the pressure to deliver something bigger, better, and more resonant is immense. For Hwang, who has had to create two seasons back-to-back under intense scrutiny, this is as much a test of endurance as it is a creative challenge.

Season 2 premieres December 26 with seven episodes featuring returning stars Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun alongside newcomers Park Gyu-young, Jo Yu-ri, and Lee David. The holiday release, which drops just in time for the crucial week between Christmas and New Year’s, is a calculated move by Netflix to dominate year-end viewership—just as it did with Bridgerton and Wednesday in past years.

Even before its premiere, the show has already made waves, snagging a Golden Globe nomination ahead of its release. And with a third season already greenlit for 2025, Netflix is gambling big on the future of one of its most valuable properties. Whether Netflix and Hwang can recapture the electrifying magic of season 1 remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the world is watching, and the game has only just begun.