For SXSW 2023, Max (then HBO Max) wanted to go BIG, aiming to activate in an inclusive and impactful way that channeled fan affinity for popular trending titles to create brand a programming moments that would play both IRL and on social media. To do this, we set several strategic goals:
· Create an inclusive and celebratory environment: We aimed to curate a warm and welcoming physical space dedicated to LGBTQ+ and Latinx attendees and stories, where the narratives specific to those communities were prioritized.
· Hero [HBO] Max content prominently: We prioritized promoting current [HBO] Max titles via custom art pieces, photo moments, premium giveaway items and rich programming that met high SXSW content and experience standards
· Make an impactful connection with SXSW attendees: We’d drive impressions and engagements around [HBO] Max programming and audience-first platforms Pa’lante! (Latinx) and Human By Orientation (LGBTQ+).
Our primary goal was to create a truly cross-cultural space that celebrates these cultures and their intersections, as well as their depictions on [HBO] Max programming. Our primary target demographic for our live programming was LGBTQ+ and Latinx attendees of all ages; more specifically, we aimed at the 18-35 demographic (given a primary objective was social media engagement).
Our insights research made it clear there was an unmet need for community among our defined audience. People desired an oasis – a truly cross-cultural space — that celebrates these communities and their intersections, as well as their depictions on the TV series that are defining and setting cultural conversations. What better venue than a coffeehouse, long established in these communities as safe spaces for gathering and celebrating?
We took over an existing space in the heart of branded SXSW and transformed it into a fully [HBO] Max branded space with multiple title-specific touchpoints. Some of these touchpoints were large, like a fabricated photo moment and a 7-person live panel; others were more subtle, like custom art or cocktails inspired by famous lines or moments from popular series.
For our Latinx and LGBTQ+ attendees, we hosted an HBO Documentary Filmmaker Roundtable (featuring Lena Waithe), a Fireside chat with Gabriel Luna (star of The Last of Us), a Sicilian-themed brunch straight out of The White Lotus Season 2 (including a talk with meme-machine Evan Ross Katz), an acoustic set by rising singer-songwriter Ambar Lucid, and a queer/Latinx party (featuring Papi Siii and Chorizo Funk).
To add editorial pedigree to our content, we partnered with Variety to help us moderate our on-stage panel content and amplify our programming for social audiences. We also targeted media outlets focused on DEI as the story of our Coffeehouse set a strong precedent for inclusion in B2B spaces like SXSW.
Finally, we created premium giveaway items that attendees couldn’t resist, including hats with the viral phrase “These gays! They’re trying to murder me!” popularized by Jennifer Coolidge’s character on The White Lotus, Tanya McQuoid.
We elevated the experience further by…
· Designing and building custom signage featuring our [HBO] Max’s Human By Orientation x Pa’lante! logo lockup.
· Creating custom premiums, including pins and tote bags inspired by titles but conceived especially for the Coffeehouse.
· Building a large The White Lotus-inspired photo moment positioned prominently in the front yard of the space to draw attendees in.
· Creating more than 30 pieces of original pieces of art inspired by [HBO] Max titles including The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Euphoria, House of the Dragon, And Just Like That…, Our Flag Means Death, The Sex Lives of College Girls, The Other Two, and more.
We created a dynamic, inclusive and [HBO] Max-forward space, filling it with original storytelling and talent, and added tangible value to attendees experiences. The quantitative results of our activation proved our theory to be true:
· Included 2.4k attendees in our Coffeehouse in 2 days
· Drove 1.43B aggregated impressions across press, social, UGC and IRL
· Earned an estimated $38.M in estimated media value
· Generated over 750 earned pieces of content
· Grew our Human By Orientation and Pa’lante! Instagram channels by a total of 1.9k followers in 2 days.
