Case Study: BlaCk OWned Week 2021 – A Decade of Culture, Commerce, and Community
Client: BlaCk OWned Outerwear
Event: BlaCk OWned Week
Theme: A Walk Down Memory Lane – 10 Years in the Making
Services Provided: Strategic event planning, brand activations, partnership development, sponsorship management, programming, creative direction, on-site coordination
Overview
In celebration of BlaCk OWned’s 10-year anniversary, BallR Media partnered with founder Means Cameron to produce BlaCk OWned Week 2021—a week-long cultural and community celebration in Cincinnati. With a focus on uplifting the local Black business ecosystem, the week included a mix of activations, live performances, networking events, health-focused initiatives, and brand partnerships that highlighted a decade of impact, legacy, and growth.
The theme, "A Walk Down Memory Lane," paid tribute to the brand’s journey while creating space for reflection, joy, education, and innovation.
Objectives
Celebrate BlaCk OWned’s 10-year milestone through immersive, community-rooted programming
Support local Black-owned businesses through vendor markets, brand activations, and media exposure
Drive economic engagement in urban neighborhoods
Create brand-aligned partnership opportunities for local and national sponsors
Leverage storytelling, live events, and digital strategy to build cultural capital
Activation Highlights
Key Event Venues:
Paul Brown Stadium & Paul Brown Terrace
Nostalgia Wine Bar
Court Street Corridor
Virtual streaming platforms for national reach
Daily Activations Included:
Monday – Scholarship Day (Virtual)
1865 Scholarship Giveaway awarded live to two local students
Tuesday – Business Networking & Thought Leadership
The Link Up: Small business networking event at 21C
The Business Hour: Fireside chats on tech, investing, and business growth
Wednesday – Community Engagement & Fashion Giveback
Drive & Drop: Clothing donation of gently worn BlaCk OWned apparel
The Classy Hour: Upscale mixer with live music at Nostalgia Wine Bar
Friday – The BlaCk Market
Night market spotlighting local Black-owned vendors
Entertainment by two local DJs and a national performing artist
Location: Court Street Corridor
Saturday – Health + Heritage + Hype
BlaCk OWned 5K: Focus on Black heart health
10-Year Anniversary Celebration & Concert
National artist performance at Paul Brown Stadium
Strategic Brand Collaborations
Partnership Packages Included:
Digital, print, and radio advertising integrations
On-site activations, stage naming rights, and VIP gifting
Custom hashtags (e.g., #YourCompanyxBOweek)Recap video content and photography
Access to thousands of attendees and brand-aligned influencers
Sponsorship Investment Tiers:
$10K | $20K | $50K – with scalable benefits from signage to stage co-branding
Key Brand Touchpoints:
Official website
Social media campaigns
Email list (20K+ subscribers)
Event posters and local distribution
Influencer promotion and media recaps
Measurable Reach
Audience Insights:
Top cities: Cincinnati, Atlanta, Miami, Indianapolis, Chicago, Nashville
Instagram: 68K+ followers
Facebook: 21.5K+ likes
Twitter: 4.2K followers
Email List: 20K subscribers
Audience demographic: Primarily aged 21–45, urban and culturally engaged
Results
Over a dozen curated activations across six days
Hundreds of attendees participated in The BlaCk Market and 5K
Generated local and regional press coverage
Strengthened relationships with local influencers, creatives, and corporate sponsors
Increased digital engagement through Instagram campaigns and email marketing
Provided opportunities for community members, students, and business owners to engage directly with the BlaCk OWned brand
Brand Impact
BlaCk OWned Week 2021 served as both a retrospective and a launchpad—honoring ten years of brand loyalty and community while laying the foundation for the next decade of cultural leadership. Through a collaborative partnership between BallR Media and BlaCk OWned, this milestone moment successfully combined storytelling, commerce, and culture into a week-long experience that resonated both locally and nationally.