Aunt Lydia’s purple prep school bus will visit Santa Monica and Hollywood today.
Hulu is launching an immersive street takeover across Los Angeles today to promote the upcoming premiere of The Testaments, the highly anticipated sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale.
The one-day activation features a purple “prep school bus” belonging to the character Aunt Lydia, which serves as a mobile stage for costumed performers known as “Plums.” At scheduled intervals, these figures disembark in single-file lines to distribute mini bumbleberry pies to the public. Each hand-delivered pastry contains a cryptic message tucked beneath the tin, intended to draw participants into the dystopian universe of the show.
The Los Angeles stops follow a high-profile kickoff last week at the SXSW festival in Austin. According to organizers, the tour is designed to maximize visibility at iconic landmarks before the production moves on to New York City.
The “Plums” operate under the direction of a supervisor who initiates the distribution with a bell signal. Recipients are greeted with traditional bows and blessings as they receive the pies, which feature a blend of blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. A QR code accompanying the “This is just the beginning” message allows fans to scan for exclusive digital content and further interactive experiences.
The purple bus is scheduled to appear at the following high-traffic locations this afternoon:
- 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
- 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Hollywood & Highland, Hollywood
An evolution of The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments is a dramatic coming-of-age story set in Gilead. The series follows young teens Agnes (Chase Infiniti), dutiful and pious, and Daisy (Lucy Halliday), a new arrival and convert from beyond Gilead’s borders. As they navigate the gilded halls of Aunt Lydia’s (Ann Dowd) elite preparatory school for future wives, a place where obedience is instilled brutally and always with divine justification, their bond becomes the catalyst that will upend their past, their present, and their future.
