How Netflix’s ‘Strong Black Summer’ Campaign Formalized Black Hollywood’s Cultural Calendar

variety.com:

Angelique Jackson It might officially be fall, but Netflix had a “Strong Black Summer.” At least, that was the name of the streamer’s warm-weather months campaign promoting a string of TV, film and documentary projects fronted by Black talent.

Among the hot titles were Gabrielle Union’s rom-com “The Perfect Find,” the John Boyega-starring conspiratorial caper “They Cloned Tyrone,” a fourth season of the Emmy-nominated comedy “The Upshaws,” comedian Michelle Buteau’s semi-autobiographical series “Survival of the Thickest,” the “Ladies First: A Story of Women in Hip-Hop” documentary, and a first look at awards contenders “Stamped from the Beginning” and “Rustin.” “The goal of ‘Strong Black Summer’ was to generate conversation and create community with Black consumers and partners,” says Netflix’s Shelly Gillyard, vice president of marketing in the U.S.

and Canada. The campaign was led by Netflix’s “Strong Black Lead,” which has been a crucial department at the streamer since it launched in 2018, as well as the company’s marketing, PR, social and creative teams. “We were very intentional about how to highlight the upcoming slate — making sure that we were featuring the incredible talent, who are also our ‘Strong Black Leads.’” Gillyard adds. “The team has done an incredible job this summer of bringing all that together and showing up where our Black members are in a very authentic way.” When the goal is to meet Black audiences where they are, during the summer, they’re outside — colloquially meaning making moves.