HBO Season 5 InsecureFest

CLIENT: HBO | 📍 LOS ANGELeS, CALIFORNIA

Context: To celebrate the premiere of the fifth season of the acclaimed HBO show Insecure, cast members and 600 specially-invited guests gathered in South Central Los Angeles for a blowout finale party known as InsecureFest. Fans were able to view an exclusive screening of Season 5 Episode 1, pose with recreated scenes from the show, sample local Black businesses in the marketplace and food vendors, and enjoy surprise musical performances by Jazmine Sullivan, Schoolboy Q, Duckwrth, Flo Milli and Kamaiyah.

The massive effect of lead actress Issa Rae’s positive influence on the Black community; the support for the show; and a sense of unity, love, and reunion was palpable. From Hilltop Café’s lavender lattes to Jazmine Sullivan’s entrance; to the moment Issa rapped to the crowd onstage; to supporting actress Yvonne Orji’s message, “Y’all look beautiful tonight—this is just peak Blackness. Blackness on Blackness,” it was a night to remember.

Design Direction: Bold, oversized shapes inspired by the blocks in Issa Rae’s southern Californian neighborhood dominated the graphic language while vignettes mimicked iconic settings from the show. Metal mesh, brightly-colored slats, and palms fit the airy LA aesthetic, and plenty of show references throughout kept the entire space on-theme. Each designated area was labeled with the moniker “…okay?!” to refer to the the way Issa’s character hypes up her best friends in the show.