HBO Max’s new series Rap Sh!t is a comedic, honest, and soberingly blunt portrayal of two young Black women on a search to make a name for themselves, while simultaneously navigating the world of their own self-image and intimate interpersonal relationships. The goal of the program was to develop a cohesive integrated marketing campaign that introduces viewers to the new series while highlighting the relatability, the content, and the personalities of the talent while sparking an emotional connection.
To create a groundswell of excitement and drive tune-in for the debut episode, HBO Max sought to immerse consumers in the tonality of the new series through organic experiential, digital and social extensions that touch on the themes highlighted throughout; ultimately evoking curiosity, longevity in conversation and subsequent viewership amongst our target audience.
With an opportunity to bring Rap Sh!t to the masses, the premiere weekend looked beyond just driving excitement for the show’s premiere, but also showcasing the universal experiences of our characters that makes Rap Sh!t not just relatable, but undeniably real.
Whether a tourist or a local, the Miami experience is one that is multi-faceted. Primarily known for its bustling nightlife, beautiful beaches, and thriving art scene, Miami is one of the most diverse & culturally rich cities in the country. Once you get past the glamour of luxury cars, bottle services, and blinding neon lights, there are surrounding neighborhoods that aren't as romanticized as Ocean Drive, but house a community just as vibrant.
The goal of the campaign was to integrate and immerse Miami’s most influential tastemakers, celebrities, and residents into the show’s world by:
Developing a cohesive integrated marketing campaign that introduces viewers to the new series.
Create various touchpoints that align with the promotional rollout and are complementary to the style and tone of the series.
Highlight the relatability of the content and the personalities of the talent featured, sparking an emotional connection.
Over 500 celebrities, talent from the series, content creators and local Miami tastemakers were invited to a curated premiere experience that brought the “Bad B*tch Renaissance” to life by transporting guests into the world of Rap Sh!t.
Attendees had the opportunity to exclusively watch episode 1 of Rap Sh!t, taste-test various food vendors, sip on specialty cocktails, live out their rap star fantasies in various interactive experiences, and dance the night away to musical performances by Saucy Santana, Dream Doll and an electric set by DJ Dimples.
Strategic partnerships were pivotal to extend the reach of the activations, with Spotify, Cay Skin & Mented, Ciroc and Deleon all working seamlessly to make the premiere event a night to remember. To extend the push throughout the weekend, HBO Max partnered with Rolling Loud to leverage highly visible touchpoints to further promote the new series.
In total, the premiere weekend experience for HBO Max’s highly anticipated new series included 500+ total guests in attendance, 57.1M social impressions and 351K Total social engagements. Following up on the HBO Max-owned experience, the network partnered with Rolling Loud to further the excitement and buzz surrounding the series with a three day Miami takeover at one of the music industry’s hottest festivals. The Rolling Loud x RAP SH!T partnership resulted in 898K email accounts reached with 183K unique social impressions.
Beyond metrics, the campaign was successful in creating multiple touchpoints surrounding the series, immersing the target audience in the show’s world and creating a groundswell of excitement and drive tune-in for the debut episode (thus the series getting renewed for a second season).
