Crafting a Bullshit Hotline
Ahead of the premiere of Peacock’s Poker Face, fans were invited to meet Natasha Lyonne’s character, Charlie Cale, over the phone. Cale, a human lie detector with a knack for calling bullshit, would be waiting for their call through the Poker Face Bullshit Hotline. This interactive experience was designed to engage fans with the show’s charm and humor before its debut, capturing Charlie’s wit and no-nonsense attitude, and I got to write it.
What!?
Working as a writer and producer through STN Digital has led me to so many incredible projects, but this has got to be my favorite. I had the exciting challenge of creating an interactive hotline to promote the series. The experience was so much fun from start to finish, especially because it allowed me to lean into the dry, witty humor that defines both Natasha Lyonne and her character, Charlie Cale. From crafting the hotline script (later brought to life by Lyonne herself) to producing a hilariously absurd infomercial to drive awareness, this project was a dream.
The hotline wasn’t your standard promotional gimmick. I mean, it was a little, but that made it more fun. It was designed to immerse fans in the Poker Face universe while giving them a chance to explore the kind of mundane, everyday nonsense that Charlie might call “bullshit” on. Writing the script meant finding a delicate balance between showing Easter eggs and creating new, relatable absurdities. I wanted the experience to be intuitive and engaging, allowing fans to dive into the story and also stay on the line, navigating around the keypad options without the hassle of calling back. It had to feel fun and rewarding, and I think that’s what we did.
The texting feature added another layer of complexity. Unlike the hotline’s menu-based navigation (press 1 for something snarky, press 2… you get it), texting opened the door for users to type anything they wanted to us. This meant crafting an enormous web of potential responses to keep the experience seamless and entertaining. My goal was to anticipate even the most random derailments, redirecting users back into Charlie’s world with a sharp, on-brand response every time.
Some unforgettable highlights? For one, Poker Face creator Rian Johnson (yes, the mastermind behind Knives Out and Star Wars: The Last Jedi) personally reviewed and approved my script… so I hear. And hearing Natasha Lyonne’s distinctive voice deliver my lines was so surreal. Outlets like SYFY, Mashable, and Collider organically wrote about the hotline, calling my writing “funny,” *chefs kiss*.
After we completed work on the hotline, I wrote and produced a faux infomercial promoting the hotline, which aired on Peacock TV and was shared across social media. Nothing beats creating something so delightfully ridiculous, complete with over-the-top graphics and campy delivery.
With billboards and subway ads lighting up LA and NYC, the Poker Face Bullshit Hotline became a central piece of a larger 360 campaign. The project was a labor of love that gave me the chance to flex my creative comedy muscles and deliver something fans could truly enjoy. And honestly? Kinda sick that someone said I was funny.
(not me fully taking credit for a major group effort 🫣. no but seriously, the team at STN is incredible and i was really excited to be a part of this larger, very cool campaign.)
A BS Hotline with @nylonne? Perfect for anyone personally victimized by Doug Judy *Jake Peralta picks up phone* pic.twitter.com/Xmx9Aqrs88
— Peacock (@peacock) January 30, 2023
