BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
first time on the west coast. first time like this.
first time on the west coast. first time like this.
OVERVIEW
after 4 years offline, honda battle of the bands rebooted
location: SoFi stadium
audience: gen Z, gen legacy, grammy-week chaos
the ask: reintroduce the culture
but louder. cinematic. undeniable.
location: SoFi stadium
audience: gen Z, gen legacy, grammy-week chaos
the ask: reintroduce the culture
but louder. cinematic. undeniable.
THE CHALLENGE
ATL → LA = a cultural migration
younger fans didn’t grow up on HBOB
older fans didn’t want it moved
the pressure? build trust + hype in a single frame
younger fans didn’t grow up on HBOB
older fans didn’t want it moved
the pressure? build trust + hype in a single frame
THE INSIGHT
HBCU culture doesn’t retire
it just resets
every generation adds a verse—bands, dancers, DJs, TikTokers, step crews
put them all in the same stadium and press [PLAY]
it just resets
every generation adds a verse—bands, dancers, DJs, TikTokers, step crews
put them all in the same stadium and press [PLAY]
THE IDEA
BACK WITH A VENGEANCE
cinema-meets-tailgate-meets-black-homecoming
20,000+ in the stands
1 mission: make noise
cinema-meets-tailgate-meets-black-homecoming
20,000+ in the stands
1 mission: make noise
BELIEF
from the field to the stage
black performance = black excellence
put that on loop
black performance = black excellence
put that on loop
EXECUTION
creative leadership:
scripted campaign theme + key VO lines
directed hero video + launch content
architected visual identity + activation tone
led production from launch to live
activation system:
SoFi stadium festival buildout
step shows, band battles, food trucks, tailgate zones
creator partnerships: content before, during, and after
vehicle wraps + in-stadium Honda touchpoints
digital content:
GloRilla tease = 1.2M views
mass rehearsal reel, student stories, BTS TikToks
social scripts → designed to ripple
COMMUNITY SIGNAL
8 HBCUs represented on stage
alumni groups + Divine 9 involved pre-event
creators, media, athletes showed out unprompted
no livestream = FOMO at scale
RESULTS
181M+ impressions
600K+ Community Selects votes (↑ from 110K)
20K+ live attendees
36.9% YTD social growth (goal: 8%)
coverage: Essence, Sirius XM, FOX, Global Grind
CLOSING CODE
this wasn’t a comeback.
this was a relocation of power.
HBOB rebooted the system —
and the sound came with it.
this was a relocation of power.
HBOB rebooted the system —
and the sound came with it.