Captiv8 x AT&T Rising Future Makers

The Challenge

Despite its longstanding support of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, AT&T faced a double-digit gap in brand sentiment among HBCU students. The challenge was to bridge this gap through authentic, culturally resonant storytelling that genuinely connected with the next generation of leaders.

The Strategy

AT&T and Captiv8 intentionally leveraged nine HBCU-affiliated creators across three strategic personas, Industry Leaders, Rising Innovators, and Gen Z Trailblazers, to drive awareness and submissions to the AT&T Rising Future Makers Showcase through personal storytelling and spirited on-campus interviews.

The Work

The phased execution balanced structured campaign briefs with genuine creative freedom, blending organic on-campus content with polished, high-production-value interviews. AI was used for creator discovery and to match specific creator categories to maximise authenticity and relevance. The result was a campaign that felt native to the HBCU community rather than imposed on it, with creators crafting content that celebrated excellence and AT&T's genuine commitment to the community.

Results

The initiative delivered remarkable gains in brand affinity and intent, significantly exceeding all predefined awareness metrics. Independent brand lift studies confirmed substantial gains in familiarity, affinity, sentiment, and purchase intent.

The Judges' Verdict

"A campaign that set a new benchmark for authentic influencer storytelling."