HBO: #Speakeasy451
Agency: Sub Rosa
Client: HBO
To provoke excitement for the film Fahrenheit 451, HBO engaged Sub Rosa to create #Speakeasy451, an event-based platform that brought together underrepresented groups, influencers, and fans of the novel around the best of below-the-radar culture. For three evenings, HBO invited guests to experience a diverse roster of underground entertainment, clandestine cocktails, and an introduction to Fahrenheit 451’s key themes.
Blacking out the windows of Park Slope’s Union Hall and transforming the gated alleyway adjacent to the bar’s main entrance, we curated our very own Speakeasy. Stunning, eye-catching e-waste displays included our CR TV photo moment, razor cell phones, VHS tapes, and many other throw backs that allowed influencers to experience the eery nostalgia. Additional Easter eggs throughout the space included projections that initially appeared as indecipherable codes but revealed evocative literary passages once interacted with, fiery cocktails (yes, we lit cocktails on fire), and secret videos built into artificial holes in the walls.
Each night the experience was kicked off by a host, followed by a guest speaker, and ultimately culminated with a memorable musical performance. The event’s talent included Director of Fahrenheit 451, Ramin Bahrani; English R&B singer and songwriter, Ella Mai; New York Essayist and the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the novel The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead; Dancer, Choreographer and Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Robert Battle; Art Curator for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kimberly Drew; Multidisciplinary Artists and Musicians, Mykki Blanco and Bosco, plus many more.
The activation saw hundreds of influencers come through specifically for the event, all generating earned media from The Source, Knockturnal, Out.com, MIC, and W Magazine—the culturally relevant media sources we were hoping to make an impact on.
