Underground
WGN America
African-American Publicity
The MRKT
Challenge
Introduce 10-week original series, positioning the narrative as an action story set against the backdrop of the antebellum South
Solution
Crafted yearlong African-American targeted publicity campaign anchored in the following key strategies:
- Engaged the urban millennial audience by coordinating a regional college screening tour at top HBCU universities in six key markets
- Galvanized the faith community via study guides distributed to churches across the country and in-market visits from the cast
- Created early champions of the series by coordinating set visits in rural Louisiana to generate early awareness with urban press
- Generated a media blitz via online features on top urban sites, such as Essence.com, Ebony.com, Vibe.com, JetMag.com and Buzzfeed.com
- Built anticipation among key influencers by hosting dedicated screening events in tandem with the NAACP, the DuSable Museum of African American History, The Blackhouse Foundation and the National Civil Rights Museum
Results
Premiered among the top 20 cable dramas, was the #1 most-discussed cable drama on social media each night it aired and made history as WGN America’s highest-rated original series