The documentary film Sugarcane tells the story of the investigation into abuse and missing children at an Indian residential school in Canada amidst an international reckoning, as decades of abuse and segregation were brought to light. The goals of the social media campaign were to leverage the National Geographic and Disney social platforms to amplify this important story, engage online audiences, and position the film as an awards contender. The film explores stories of generational trauma and an ongoing search for truth and justice, so it was also important to make sure that the film’s subjects were treated with sensitivity and respect.
To bring this social campaign to life, we created a content plan including videos, graphics, strategic collaborations, and coverage of timely events as they arose. The social content was designed to reach different audiences by providing historical context and highlighting the film’s timeliness, emotional storytelling, and stunning cinematography. During the film’s theatrical and streaming phases, we aimed to raise awareness without revealing too much of the film, and as it progressed to the linear, streaming and awards phases, to amplify the message to a wider audience.
One challenge that we faced was conveying the complexity of the story via shortform social media content. Despite the lasting and widespread impact of Indian boarding schools in North America, this story was not well known by a broader audience. We crafted an explainer video which used text on screen and film footage to bring a clear explanation of the background and importance of the story to the Nat Geo audience, working with the film team and Nat Geo research teams to ensure sensitivity and accuracy. For an infographic carousel, we also incorporated the work of the Nat Geo editorial and maps teams to provide a more detailed view of the issue. These posts were some of the most impactful of the campaign, sparking meaningful conversation and personal reflections in the comments.
Throughout the film’s run, from festival, theatrical to linear, streaming and awards phases, we also ensured that the content remained timely and relevant to current events and developments in the story. We worked closely with the filmmakers and PR team to align on messaging and key beats. When Lily Gladstone joined the team as an executive producer, we collaborated with her on key social posts to help expand our reach. We posted updates including the filmmakers attending Joe Biden’s historic speech in Arizona acknowledging the impact of the boarding schools; a White House screening with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, letters of recognition from Biden and leaders of Native communities in the U.S. and Canada; and sharing the film’s inclusion on Barack Obama’s “Best of the Year” list. We collaborated with the film team on posts about their Rez Tour impact campaign, which screened the film with First Nations and Tribal communities across North America. The film’s Oscar nomination brought new increased awareness to the film, which we celebrated and amplified across our social media accounts.
The social support of Sugarcane yielded incredible results across our channels, sparking meaningful engagement and conversations about the subject matter. The campaign garnered over 13m views and 500k engagements, including the standout explainer assets which received nearly 10m views. The film earned accolades including an Oscar nomination, the first ever film directed by a North American Indigenous person to receive the honor.
