Netflix has taken the world by storm, transforming itself from a mail order DVD company into a streaming behemoth that consumes immense amounts of internet bandwidth worldwide. Along the way, it helped normalize a cultural habit called binge-watching, where you watch multiple episodes of the same TV show in one sitting.
Cornetto looks at that habit and pulls out a relationship insight. People “binge-watch cheat”. Skipping ahead without their partner, then pretending they did not. Campaign materials from Cornetto described this as widespread behavior and framed it as “Netflix infidelity”, including stats about how often people watch ahead while the other person sleeps, or re-watch episodes later to cover it up.
To “fix” the problem, Cornetto creates Commitment Rings. A pair of smart wearable rings designed to block access to agreed shows unless both partners are watching together.
How the rings enforce “we watch together”
The mechanism is NFC proximity plus a companion app. The rings connect to a smartphone over NFC. In the app, users register the shows they want to watch as a couple. From that point on, the next episode only plays if both people are present and their Commitment Rings are nearby, effectively locking the series unless the pair is together.
In subscription streaming culture, shared series have become a relationship ritual, so small “watching ahead” moments can carry real emotional weight.
Why it lands
This idea works because it treats a modern micro-conflict as if it deserves a formal solution, and that exaggeration is the joke. The rings also make the conflict visible and measurable. Either both are present or the episode does not start, which turns a vague promise into a concrete rule. It is a product-shaped punchline that still maps cleanly to a real behavior.
Extractable takeaway: When a cultural habit creates a recurring “tiny betrayal”, build a playful constraint that makes the rule unmistakable, then let the product itself carry the story in one sentence.
What Cornetto is really buying
This is not about launching a scalable wearable business. It is a brand move that places Cornetto inside a current cultural conversation, binge-watching, couples, and the social etiquette of streaming. The rings function like a physical metaphor for commitment, then redirect that metaphor back to the brand’s role in shared moments.
What to steal
- Start from a recognizable behavior. The audience must immediately know the “problem” from their own life.
- Make the solution overly literal. The comedy comes from treating a small issue with disproportionate tech seriousness.
- Build a crisp constraint. A simple rule is more shareable than a clever explanation.
- Create a proofable mechanic. NFC proximity is easy to understand and easy to demonstrate on camera.
At the moment there aren’t any pricing details or release dates for this particular wearable, so you’ll have to keep checking the Series Commitment website for more details about it, or register with the site to receive more information about the product.
A few fast answers before you act
What are Cornetto’s Commitment Rings?
A pair of NFC-enabled rings designed to prevent “watching ahead” by only unlocking selected shows when both partners and their rings are nearby.
How does the locking actually work?
Users register the shows in an app. When someone tries to play a new episode, the app checks whether both rings are in close proximity, then blocks or allows playback.
What problem is the campaign targeting?
So-called “binge-cheating”. Watching episodes alone, out of sync with a partner, then hiding it or re-watching to cover it up.
Is this positioned as a real product or a campaign stunt?
It is presented as a product concept tied to a campaign, with sign-up messaging and no clear pricing or release timing in the original write-up.
What is the key lesson for marketers?
If you can translate a current cultural tension into a simple, demonstrable rule, the rule becomes the shareable story, and the brand becomes part of the conversation.