Netflix’s PR strategy is shown perfectly in “A great day in Harlem” video marketing campaign
On June 28th Netflix released the unannounced video marketing campaign entitled, “A great day in Hollywood”. It comes off the back of the noted and soaring success in giving a platform to black actors. Netflix has taken the step to highlight its diversity in this area in a Hollywood that has been recently lambasted for its lack of it.
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Content
The video is made up of the lead black characters from its vast array of shows, films, and documentaries. The campaign is narrated by Caleb McLaughlin of Stranger Things and pans back from his face to show the men, women, and children of the streaming service. 47 creatives make up the image with “Power”, “Dear White People” and “Strong Island” characters being included along with many other films and shows. It is also a very poignant way to show the diversity in age and gender that Netflix offers and in turn addresses a very important issue. The issue of ethnic diversity in Hollywood.
Timing
In the wake of the “Oscars so white” scandal of 2016, Hollywood has been in the spotlight for a range of negative issues around equality and abuse. With pressure on the industry to allow more lead roles for females and ethnic minorities, Netflix has come in to say that they are far more progressive as a brand than many others beside them. Netflix not only has already shown it was diverse in this area, as many of their black-centric shows preceded the campaign, but it is willing to stand up and be proud of it.
Cultural influence
The campaign has been inspired by the image “A great day in Harlem” which is a photo of 57 Jazz musicians on the steps of a Harlem building. It is a great way for Netflix to nod to the past whilst baton passing the issue of racial diversity in its current context. By linking to the past it has shown they have a social & cultural awareness of what they believe matters to their users.
A Great Day in Harlem or Harlem 1958 is a 1958 black-and-white group portrait of 57 notable jazz musicians photographed in front of a brownstone in Harlem, New York City. The photo has remained an important object in the study of the history of jazz.
Art Kane, a freelance photographer working for Esquire magazine, took the picture around 10 a.m. on August 12 in the summer of 1958.[1] The musicians had gathered at 17 East 126th Street, between Fifth and Madison Avenues in Harlem. Esquire published the photo in its January 1959 issue. Kane calls it “the greatest picture of that era of musicians ever taken.” – Wikipedia
The image was also recreated by XXL magazine in 1998 entitled “The greatest day in Hip Hop history” with this photo comprising of 117 Hip Hop artists.
How has it benefitted Netflix?
This video marketing campaign has helped them create a strong brand image in an ever progressive world. It shows them as personable and brave as a company, unphased by standing up for what is right instead of fearing a backlash from naysayers. Generation X and millennials are considerably more progressive, so this stance will resonate with their main userbase. This chart shows the age demographics of Netflix.
Don’t be scared to resonate with your main userbase and play safe with pleasing everyone. It is better to make sure you keep in line with your main business revenue stream, especially if it is the younger user base. Younger users have more time for brand loyalty and will set up the consumer to brand trust that could last a lifetime.
Bravo Netflix, Bravo.