NetflixBlack Mirror is often considered too true to life, but Netflix has taken this one step further with their TikTok marketing ahead of Season 7’s release.
Nothing links episodes of Black Mirror together like the existential dread of what might be to come in the future. With AI dominating newsfeeds every week, Season 7 surely has a lot to play with to make us terrified.
The streaming service has risen to the occasion by bringing new episodes into real life. You might have seen ads on socials and YouTube for something called a “Nubbin,” created by TCKR Systems. You might not have heard of the company, but fans will definitely recognize the product.
In the days leading up to Black Mirror Season 7, influencers on TikTok have started receiving their own. As weird as it is to watch unboxing videos for devastating technology, there’s good reason not to be too freaked out.
What is TCKR Systems?
As per their website (yes, the marketing really is that detailed), TCKR Systems is “at the cutting edge of neural exploration and simulated existence, pushing the boundaries of virtual consciousness for decades, from gaming innovations to nostalgia immersion and implantable technology.”
In reality, it’s a fake tech company linked to all six new storylines we’re about to see on the show. Well… five new plots and one sequel, if we’re being pedantic.
YouTubePlacing a patch on someone’s temple before their eyes glaze over isn’t something new to fans. We’ve already seen it used in previous episodes like Playtest, San Junipero, and USS Callister, but the actual company behind the nubbin has been kept at a distance.
San Junipero, Black Museum, and Striking Vipers each show the company’s branding the most (e.g. the final building shown in San Junipero storing the digital copies of the departed).
“The solution to our challenges won’t come from changing our world, but entering a new one,” the press statement continues. “TCKR’s latest innovation unlocks limitless experiences through a single, seamless interface. A new world at your fingertips. A reality redefined.”
On the website, you can register your interest for product testing, send actual emails for job openings and general enquiries, and find out exactly how to install and use the Nubbin thanks to the FAQ section.
You can also find TCKR Systems on TikTok and LinkedIn to see more adverts filmed primarily across London. Don’t bother trying to look up the listed 11-50 employees in the company, though – there are no search results.
Press have also reported receiving press releases for the Nubbin ahead of Season 7, taking them to a password-encrypted file of assets.
What does TCKR stand for? Well, that’s anybody’s guess.
From the trailer alone, we can tell the Nubbin will be explicitly used in two Season 7 episodes: Hotel Reverie and Eulogy. In Hotel Reverie, a Hollywood actress is transported into the set of a hit 1940s movie using the Nubbin, while Eulogy shows a man recounting his memories of someone who’s died by stepping into pictures he once took.
Videos and captions on the TCKR site indicate their tech is linked to all upcoming episodes, even if the Nubbin itself isn’t featured.
No, Black Mirror Nubbins aren’t actually real
So how does Black Mirror take what it’s already set up one step further? By sending Nubbins to influencers in real life, of course. As unboxing videos begin to pop up on TikTok, it’s worth remembering they aren’t real at all.
UK television personality Rylan is seen testing one out in line with Infinity, the game featured in USS Callister. He also recounts seeing an old childhood memory, adding, “I feel like I’m in an episode of Black Mirror or something.”
Other influencers across the UK and Europe have also made similar content after being gifted the product. The activation phrase? “Enter game.”
Another TikTok user explains how technology similar to the Nubbin does actually exist, but isn’t at all available to the public. A watch called the Misfit Shine was released back in 2014, looking scarily similar to our fictional Nubbin.
Regardless, fans are buying into the confusion. “It’s both a mindgame and masterclass in grabbing attention, one TikTok reply read, with another adding, “This will be very real much sooner than we think.”
Black Mirror Season 7 drops on Netflix on April 10. In the meantime, keep tabs on the year’s releases with our 2025 movie calendar and our 2025 TV calendar.
