CAMPAIGNS
UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA WITH W. KAMAU BELL
I was responsible for the creative on all seven seasons of United Shades. Our initial challenge was to introduce Kamau and figure out how to explain why a comedian was getting a show on CNN and how his approach to some very serious subjects would make a compelling show promise. We did multiple spots for each season to address the different sides of the show and the host with a mix of conceptual and clip based spots. For nearly every season, we also included some fun ideas that featured Kamau with prominent anchors to help locate the show on CNN.
SOCIAL
Social marketing for USOA almost exclusively happened through CNN's very popular organic channels. CNN audiences engage most often with content that informs them, so that’s where we put our focus. It paid off with some of the highest engagement of any CNN Original Series. We mined the show for interesting and relatable information, and then customized it for social. Sometimes this simply involved some editing and reformatting, while in other instances we completely redesigned or animated the information. Content selection was the biggest driver. Kamau personally had a strong social social presence, and was well liked by CNN audiences, so we also made room in our plan for assets that showcased his sense of humor and personality.
