To build anticipation for the moment, we created a film inspired by her hit “Run This Town,” that felt true to both Rihanna and Apple Music as a brand. Her road to the Super Bowl started on the small street in Barbados where she grew up. So that’s where we started.

This film is a love letter to Rihanna’s journey - every element was selected to be true and authentic to her path to stardom. We travelled to Barbados to connect with the locals who lived on that very street including Rihanna’s childhood neighbor, Dawn. We placed Easter eggs through out the film to excite her fans. With the help of local children, we even created a new rendition of the song “Run This Town.“

In making Apple Music an undeniable part of this moment, our objective was generate maximum brand awareness and organic reach in the weeks leading.

Everyone we casted in the film was from the community—from Rihanna’s childhood neighbor, Dawn, to the young boys on the street performing tricks on their bikes, to the kids flying kites in the cemetery. The film was essentially a slice of Bridgetown life, allowing fans a genuine glimpse of the hometown of a beloved icon.

We also placed Easter eggs throughout the film designed to excite her biggest fans, featuring Rihanna’s primary school uniform and music video accessories like the helmets in her music video “Hard.”

To bring this film home, we brought the local children in the film together to sing a simple, yet emotional rendition of the song—reminding fans all over the world that everyone starts out as a kid with a dream. Even Rihanna.