“It’s a Sin” Time Capsule

To rally a community around viewership of It’s a Sin on HBO Max, we harnessed headlines from the story’s era – using social media to reframe and repurpose deadly misinformation about the 80’s HIV/AIDS crisis. A time machine approach ignited conversation throughout today’s LGBTQ+ community and drove informed debate about the disease and its stigma.

To engage a passionate fandom, we addressed longstanding tensions. Focusing on that era’s media mistruths – that HIV/AIDS was a disease experienced only by the gay community – we created awareness around the current status of the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic and connected through informed enlightenment.

Content was crafted to create a jolt of awareness around the language used in media of the 1980s (“Prevent HIV, Avoid Sharing Food,” “Homosexual Disorder”) which stigmatized the gay community. We coordinated 50 synchronized LGBTQ+ influencers to post 50 tiles highlighting these headlines in It’s A Sin signature neon pink with captions for context. For each tile posted, HBO Max donated a $1000 reparation to Prevention Access – a charity providing accurate, meaningful information to those impacted by HIV/AIDS.

All celebrities like Elton John, Neil Patrick Harris, Indya Moore, organizations like GLAAD and on-the-ground activists like Maria Mejia and Ashlee Marie Preston participated with no fee.

Sinner’s Kits for celebs/influencers conjured the era...
It’s A Sin branded denim jacket by queer artist OG Millie
Certificate of donation
80s-style satchel with show logo
“Through Positive Eyes” photo book by HIV/AIDS patients/survivors
Walkman and cassette with hits from the time period
Pins from prominent HIV/AIDS organizations

Spurred by hyper-targeted conversation, influencers posted about Sinners Kits in-feed, including an 8-minute in-feed video from Ben De La Creme reposted to Instagram Stories. All recipients posted in-kind, with celebrity talent from Olly Alexander and Lydia West, to Gottmik, to Billy Porter – who’s post featured a swipe-up to watch the show on HBO Max. The results…

426 Pieces Of Organic Content
6.1M+ Impressions
147K Engagements
$591K+ Social Media Value

This LGBTQ+ focused, personality-led campaign celebrated a relevant show while highlighting critical truths and sparking a crucial dialogue.