We started by dropping an epic trailer on social channels a month before the first-ever Apple Music Halftime Show, hijacking the media conversation about Rihanna’s return.

The week leading up to Halftime, we dropped four social films, driving hype and excitement within Rihanna’s diverse fanbase. Each film and post had an Apple Music Instagram partnership attached — ‘Stay’ with the NFL, ‘Diamonds’ with Popular Jewelry, ‘Pose’ with celebrity hairstylist Yusef Williams and ‘Run This Town’ with Rihanna. The films were also posted across various social platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

We were given both the unique challenge of launching Apple Music’s first-ever Super Bowl Halftime Show partnership, and the opportunity to celebrate one of the most anticipated moments in music history: the return of Rihanna.

To build anticipation, we started with a teaser that hijacked the cultural conversation around Rihanna’s return. By leveraging the voices of doubters questioning her return to music, we flipped the larger press narrative on its head — and paved the way for her performance.

We then created a series of films inspired by Rihanna’s iconic hits. Each film interpreted a song in a way that felt true to both Rihanna and Apple Music as a brand, preparing her fans for the biggest music event of the year.

Our campaign kicked off with a teaser that addressed ongoing media speculation about Rihanna’s return to music. We flipped the press narrative on its head by leveraging the voices of those who claimed she would never return, while confidently announcing her comeback.

Then, the week before Super Bowl, we created a series of films inspired by Rihanna’s most iconic hits.

The first film in the series, ‘Stay,’ united NFL fans from all 32 teams for the largest Rihanna collaboration ever.

For the second film, 'Diamonds,' we commissioned hip-hop's go-to jeweler, A$AP Eva, to create Rihanna-inspired diamond pendants.

The third film, 'Pose', featured New York ballroom's icons and legends, coming together to celebrate Rihanna's allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community.

Our final film, ‘Run This Town,’ is a love letter to Rihanna and her journey - in which every element was selected to be true and authentic to her path to stardom.

Rihanna is a global icon and hugely influential creative force. Throughout her career, her presence has touched countless people around the world. We created a campaign to pay homage to her influence. Instead of creating just one trailer, we set out to create an ongoing campaign that tapped into her diverse fanbase and spoke to her unique influence on so many communities. What started with a internet-breaking teaser was followed by a series of films that helped fans to feel represented and connected to Rihanna in a unique way. Each one told a story of Rihanna’s incredible impact on the lives of her fans everywhere.

Our campaign started with a trailer that silenced Rihanna’s doubters, and announced her triumphant comeback.

Then, we dropped a film series in the week leading up to the Super Bowl.

For ‘Stay’ we wanted to capture the emotional rollercoaster of NFL fandom. After scouring through hundreds of submissions, we selected a diverse, inclusive, more vulnerable side of the league’s fanbase.

For, ‘Diamonds,’ we not only spotlight the meticulous craft that went into making the pieces, but also shined a light on a self-made Chinese immigrant in culture, running parallel to Rihanna's own immigrant roots.

For ‘Pose’ we consulted with Rihanna's hairstylist and NYC ballroom icon, Yusef Williams, to cast our talent, wearing outfits inspired by Rihanna's most iconic looks.

For ‘Run This Town’ we travelled to Barbados and casted neighborhood locals, including Rihanna’s childhood neighbor. And with the help of local children, even created a new rendition of the song.

* 9% bump in brand awareness for Apple Music across full US population

* 170M+ organic views

* 30M+ engagements

* 448M view overall

* Promotion culminated in the 2nd most-watched TV moment ever measured

After seven years away from the stage, Rihanna made her triumphant return to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show. While the Super Bowl is one of the most viewed and celebrated game events in the US, the added excitement of Rihanna’s comeback performance made this halftime show one of the most highly anticipated global music events in of the last decade.