One of our tentpole films for the year, O.G., was set to premiere in February 2019. The film shares the story of a man who – after serving almost 25 years in prison – is set to be released. While a fictional story, the movie was filmed at a prison, and a majority of the cast includes actual inmates and correctional employees at the prison. The film explores many of the harsh realities faced by those affected by the criminal justice system in this country.

With a budget of $450k, our multicultural marketing team set out to drive awareness and meaningful conversation around the film amongst influential members of our target audience. We knew that leveraging an experiential tactic would be a key enabler to achieving these objectives, so we partnered with a social justice-focused creative agency to help us execute in a way that would spark productive conversations.

The concept that we landed on was to create a first-of-its-kind exhibit exclusively featuring the work of formerly incarcerated artists from various disciplines. Guided by the insight that art is a universal language, we wanted to create a space that would spark discussion around the film and the related topics in an inclusive and engaging way. Like the film, the activation centered the voices of those who have been directly impacted by incarceration.

The pop-up experience would be complimented by leveraging strategic partnerships and a targeted influencer network to help support programming throughout the activation timeframe. In addition to having it be free and open to the public, the gallery would also serve as a space to invite in select influencers, activists, and organizations to take part in discussions and programming that would extend the reach and impact of our efforts.

Our internal multicultural marketing team is focused on driving connections with diverse audiences. For this film, we saw our primary audience as African Americans 25+ with interests in social justice and politics. In addition to driving awareness and tune-in amongst this audience, we also wanted to ensure that we created some positive impact. With a primarily Black cast and topics that have strong, painful relevance to the Black community, we knew that our approach had to authentic and inclusive.

To instigate the right types of conversations at scale, we set out to partner with activists, influencers, and organizations who were already driving impact and creating change for the those affected by the criminal justice system.

We engaged two prominent formerly incarcerated artists to help curate the exhibit. It featured a cohort of 17 formerly incarcerated artists from various disciplines. The 30+ featured works lent themselves to a broad, multifaceted response to mass incarceration, using video, sculpture, painting, photography, and performances.

It was free and open to the public for 6 days. To garner buzz, we hosted a press and influencer opening reception, as well as a capstone influencer event on the night of the film's premiere. To drive meaningful discussions, we hosted three private screenings and dinner discussions. Guests included the filmmakers and some of the nation’s top thought leaders.

We chose the Chelsea Arts District - an internationally renowned hub for contemporary art - to provide the artists and exhibit with an added sense of authenticity and create some tension with the usual artists and galleries featured in the area.

Over 5000 guests visited The O.G. Experience, including top social justice activists and influencers -- a few of whom include Jeffrey Wright, Shaun King, Michaela Angela Davis, Agnes Gund, Angie Martinez, Van Jones, Jahvaris Fulton, and April Reign.

The experience garnered over 61MM+ social media impressions, as well as 42MM+ press impressions.

The O.G. Experience challenged its varied audiences to have more expansive conversations about art, incarceration, reentry, and system change, shaping and shifting our shared truths. It served as a mirror for the public, art institutions, and system actors, where they might reflect on their power, access and privilege, and consider how to lift up marginalized voices and create space for directly impacted people. Ultimately, it allowed us to not only promote the film, but also provide a platform for incredibly deserving artists.