There are so many areas of Hip-Hop to represent. How did you develop the creative direction?
We started with the idea that “everything” has been impacted by Hip-Hop. Music, Fashion, Art, Culture. In recognizing how long 50 years is and how vast its reach is, we had to understand Hip-Hop through the lens of YouTube. In that “parameter,” we were able to see that Hip-Hop’s reach is so vast because of the reach YouTube was able to provide. From the first viral dance challenge to street fashion in Tokyo, without the internet and YouTube specifically the idea of Hip-Hop being a part of every facet of culture wouldn’t be possible.
Winner Story
Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop with YouTube | 50 Deep by Creative Theory Agency
We caught up with Rachael Hardy, Director of Creative, and Trivell Miller, Head of Production at
Creative Theory Agency, to get exclusive insight into how they crafted their branded video “Celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop with YouTube” (2 million+ views). The team tackled script mastering and licensing challenges for over 200 clips. See how they connected with the YouTube community, and took home two 2024 Awards of Excellence: Branded Content – Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and Branded Content – Social.
Tell us about the structure of the team that worked on the project.
Our team was vast but spanned the corners of account, creative, and creative production. Our writers began with crafting and writing the script while our strategists well versed in culture began to source influencers and talent that were both relevant and recognizable to the platform and aligned with the key moments of the story. During this time our creative team specifically focused on how creative would begin to come together stylistically.
Once we had the script, content elements, and the style in which it would come together, our editors and animators worked hand in hand to stitch together the visual story. In the background, our producers worked through licensing and approvals of all content leveraged.
What was the biggest challenge with writing and assembling the video?
The most intensive part of the process was that of “mastering” the script and licensing content. For the script, we went through many iterations internally and with the client. It was about striking the right balance between telling the story of Hip-Hop through the lens of YouTube, so touching on the right nuances was important. For licensing, we had 200+ clips of content that we sourced and needed to gain approvals from influencers around the globe, artists talent, and brands. As approvals went through (or didn’t) we then had to finalize or swap the clip to be sure we maintained the integrity of the piece.
This season, we’re highlighting how all forms of communication create connections. How did you tap into what truly speaks to the YouTube audience?
[Trivell Miller] The amazing thing is that we were able to work with YouTube on another project and from there, we worked with their team to create and share insights that resonated from within YouTube’s creator community.
Using that data allowed us to key in on some particular moments within that video. From trending songs to viral dance challenges, pulling those moments felt right for this piece and felt like a global extension of YouTube and not just in North America.
In the end, how did the YouTube and Hip-Hop communities respond?
[Trivell Miller] Since launching a year ago, the video has accumulated 2.2 million views, organically. We’ve heard many reactions from our industry peers, other teams within Google and YouTube’s organization, and content creators about how hyped they were to watch the video and it felt like something that resonated with them and felt true to the YouTube community and platform.
Are you producing impactful branded content like Creative Theory Agency? This season, we have expanded categories in Branded Content & Entertainment to recognize more brilliant work. The Early Entry Deadline is on November 8th. Enter your work to take advantage of preferred early pricing.