The Nat Geo team created a campaign to drive awareness and viewership for the third season of GENIUS, the 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. Despite production being stopped and restarted three times due to COVID-19, causing delays in the premiere date, the PR team adapted and the series launched to much acclaim and record-high viewership on March 21.

Recognizing that GENIUS: ARETHA was a departure from the National Geographic core audience, the objective was to deliver a new audience to National Geographic and drive series tune-in night over night. The PR team felt it was important to not only earn new viewers, but also properly respect the legacy of The Queen of Soul. With multiple production delays due to COVID, the team had to adapt to changing premiere dates and rework their timelines. The earned media campaign began in Feb. 2019 with the series announcement at the Television Critics Association, and culminated in the March 2021 premiere with a rollout that had to sustain buzz for well over a year due to the changing premiere date timeline. Additionally, there was a feature film about Aretha Franklin set to premiere in the same window, so it was important for Nat Geo’s to “first be best, and then be first."

In addition to a robust earned media campaign with 844 pieces of coverage and more than 10B potential views, the PR team also deployed a number of creative tactics. The first was the #GeniusAF marquee takeover campaign, where custom and cryptic language was placed on 20 marquee signs at iconic venues across the country. The campaign included a donation to Crew Nation, a global relief fund launched by Live Nation. The execution garnered coverage from outlets like New York Daily News, Us Weekly and Yahoo. Additionally, the team pulled off a virtual + multi-city drive-in industry premiere event series that culminated in a showstopping live-streamed performance by star Cynthia Erivo from the Greek Theater in Los Angeles and garnered 10,000 viewers over multiple showings. Celebrity viewers at the premiere included Spike Lee and Joni Mitchell.

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, ensured broad appeal to Women of all ages, and showcased Franklin’s enduring and timeless relevance. The team used both a traditional TV publicity campaign strategy that involved reviews, tune-in highlights, industry and consumer panels (i.e. SXSW), talent interviews, features, and more, as well as unexpected stunts and executions like the #GENIUSAF marquee takeover and a dazzling musical premiere event that was both virtual and across multiple drive-in theaters across the country.

Having to sustain the buzz after 3 Covid-delayed premiere dates was no easy feat, but in the end, Nat Geo delivered an impressive campaign that had steady drumbeats over the course of 18 months years. Nat Geo participated in events like the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood lunch, an American Idol performance by Cynthia Erivo, a NAACP panel, SXSW and more. Series star Cynthia Erivo graced multiple magazine covers, including DuJour, Instyle, Rolling Out and more, and participated in interviews with Good Morning America, The Breakfast Club and more. The PR team worked to secure talent interviews, features, and reviews in outlets spanning Hollywood trades, women’s interest, African-American interest, music, culture, general consumer and more. By utilizing creative stunts like a music venue marquee takeover and a virtual + multi-city drive-in premiere event, the team was able to reach new audiences and attract positive press attention.

The PR team for GENIUS: ARETHA earned more than 800 pieces of earned media coverage -- from magazine covers (InStyle, DuJour, Rolling Out) to reviews (THR, Variety, Detroit Free Press), interviews (New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, TIME), broadcast pieces (Good Morning America) and more. Press celebrated the series premiere and Cynthia Erivo’s performances, with TIME Magazine declaring the show “gives the Queen of Soul the regal treatment she deserves.” CNN reported Erivo “sets the bar high,” and that “like the best musical biographies, [GENIUS] enhances an appreciation of Franklin’s life and career, with an ease and grace that makes it look easy.” The #GENIUS AF music venue marquee campaign garnered coverage from outlets like New York Daily News and Yahoo. The premiere event on March 11 was written about in outlets like Variety and was so popular that Nat Geo aired an encore performance several days later. Across all showings, the premiere event had more than 10,000 viewers, including industry heavyweights like Spike Lee and Joni Mitchell. Overall, each tactic of the campaign successfully worked together to deliver a new audience to National Geographic, with P25-54 viewership 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.