After a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, CultureCon was set to triumphantly return as one of the preeminent conventions for Black and Multicultural creative professionals. The conference's attendees proved to be the perfect community for HBO Max to showcase and spotlight the network’s Scene in Black - a program that recognizes and celebrates Black creators and audiences alike, while providing a haven for viewers to see themselves in HBO Max multicultural initiatives and programming.
The campaign goals were to highlight new programming (creating interest, generating buzz and driving tune-in), continue important conversations surrounding Scene in Black, and showcase HBO Max talent (internal and external) to the audience.
With no shortage of key initiatives and programming, one of the challenges would be providing each of the initiatives with the appropriate venue for conversations, screening, etc. to gain the proper exposure and generate buzz.
For Atlanta’s Culture Con, Scene in Black served as the presenting sponsor of both the luxury VIP Lounge and the Talent Lounge for those speaking on the Main Stage and for VIP Ticket Holders. In addition to the lounges, HBO Max also had a presence in the General Admission area. As the day got started, guests were treated to the HBO sponsored panel for the new HBO series Rap Sh!t. This panel gave guests a glimpse into the series as hosts discussed the inspiration, challenges and triumphs they experienced when bringing this series to life.
Following Atlanta’s CultureCon, HBO Max held the Creator Brunch to kick off NYC CultureCon with 75+ creators, visionaries and change makers at Peaches Prime in Brooklyn, NY for a celebratory brunch.
Led by Culture Con Founder Imani Ellis, the brunch’s festivities kicked off with welcome remarks from Kyra Lewis and Jaleesa Diaz, both Managers of Multicultural Marketing at HBO Max. The brunch featured a guided conversation, discussing a variety of prompts inspired by Scene in Black.
Following the brunch, HBO Max welcomed over 3,000 NYC creatives to CultureCon with a custom Scene in Black tote bag. Similar to Atlanta, HBO Max also produced the Scene in Black VIP Lounge in Activation Alley, an exclusive Talent Lounge overlooking celebrity panels on the Main Stage in Duggal Greenhouse.
The HBO Max Scene in Black x CultureCon experience in Atlanta saw 200+ guests inside the VIP lounge. The event garnered 140 social posts resulting in 2.5M social impressions and 283K engagements.
The New York experience saw 350+ guests in the Scene in Black VIP lounge throughout the day. Guests included influencers and media personalities like Gia Peppers, Sylvia Obell, Shiggy and many more. The NYC activation resulted in 111 total social posts garnering 652K social impressions and 11K engagements.
