National Geographic’s team created an integrated campaign that drove awareness and record-high viewership for the third season of GENIUS, the network’s anthology series that dramatizes the fascinating stories of the world’s most brilliant innovators and their extraordinary achievements and complex personal relationships. After winning 17 Emmys for the first two seasons, its highly-anticipated third season GENIUS: ARETHA tells the story of Aretha Franklin with Cynthia Erivo starring. Under COVID-19-safe protocols, the team implemented creative tactics driven by strategic partnerships that led the series to much acclaim, press coverage and record-high viewership on March 21.

National Geographic launched its highly anticipated third season GENIUS: ARETHA, telling the story of Aretha Franklin, The Queen of Soul, with Cynthia Erivo as the iconic musical genius. Recognizing that Genius: Aretha was a departure from the National Geographic core audience, we identified African American Women 25+ were a key audience for the franchise’s third season, with a secondary target of Women 25+, Music Fans, Baby Boomers, and LGBTQ+. The resulting campaign leaned into Aretha Franklin’s universal recognition and appeal, forged a deeper connection with African American Women, while ensuring broad appeal among Women everywhere, and showcasing the relevance Franklin still has today. National Geographic’s main objective was to deliver a new audience to National Geographic and drive series tune-in night over night.

The Nat Geo team worked to attract a new audience of viewers that included a younger, more diverse demo. Our multi-faceted campaign included on-air/cross channel promotion; paid media across national cable TV, local, fixed programming, connected TV, satellite/advanced TV; ads during the CBS Grammy Awards broadcast; newsletter ads; custom digital across Rolling Stone, Oprah.com, Essence, Ebony, and People; a robust social campaign; OOH billboards; sponsorships; Historically Black Colleges & University outreach and more. HBCU outreach was an important part of the Genius: Aretha campaign, and by partnering with alliedmoxy, Nat Geo created two impactful HBCU activations -- a virtual screening and the All Hail The Queen: Virtual HBCU Band Tribute hosted by Lance Gross. The team also created the #GeniusAF marquee takeover campaign, where custom and cryptic language was placed on 20 marquee signs at iconic venues across the country, and included a donation to Crew Nation.

Recognizing that GENIUS: ARETHA a was a departure from the National Geographic core audience, the team identified African American Women and Music Fans were key audiences to attract. The resulting campaign leaned into Aretha Franklin’s universal recognition and appeal, forged a deeper connection with African American Women, while ensuring broad appeal among Women everywhere, and showcasing the relevance Franklin still has today. Nat Geo began a targeted, long lead marketing in December, with on-air promotion in key National Geographic series, and in January, building massively across the Walt Disney TV portfolio with placement in a mix of broadcast, news, music, sports and premium scripted content. Nat Geo built custom digital partnerships with Rolling Stone, Oprah, Essence, Ebony and more, and reached music fans.

Nat Geo executed their custom digital partnerships with Rolling Stone, Billboard, EBONY and more, ramping-up promotion frequency as the series approached, including a GENIUS: ARETHA spot in the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards and on ABC's American Idol on March 21. To reach music fans programmatically, Nat Geo partnered with Spotify and Pandora, sponsoring the “This Is Aretha” and “Soul and Funk Classics” playlists on Spotify. The audio campaign also included DJ-voiced spots on iHeart Media shows The Sweat Hotel with Keith Sweat, The Breakfast Club, and other African-American skewing programs. Additionally, Nat Geo executed the #GeniusAF marquee takeover across 20 iconic U.S. venues, from Gramercy Theater in New York to the Aretha Franklin Amphitheater in Detroit and more while including a donation to Crew Nation, a global relief fund launched by Live Nation to help struggling live music employees across the country.

Press lauded the series, with TIME Magazine touting the show as “giving the Queen of Soul the regal treatment she deserves.” Overall, each tactic of the campaign successfully worked together to deliver a new audience to National Geographic, exceeding L+3 estimates across all demos, with P25-54 over 200% higher than the ratings goal. GENIUS: ARETHA became the No. 2 Most Watched Premiere in Network History, the Most Watched Telecast on National Geographic in 2 years (Premiere Episode) and in the Top 10 Most Watched Cable Scripted Series This Year. The campaign recognized Aretha Franklin’s universal recognition and appeal, and forged deeper connections with newer audiences by honoring the impact Aretha Franklin has today.