The HISTORY Channel Takes on Gen Z with Social-First Strategy for New Docuseries

This Memorial Day, The HISTORY Channel will be premiering a three-night documentary event that will take viewers through the backstory of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt (famously known as FDR) and his journey as president through two of America’s most challenging and consequential periods: the Great Depression and World War II. Watch the trailer for FDR, A Documentary Event here.

To drive social buzz and conversation among gen z and millennial audiences, HISTORY teamed up with NY-based creative agency GLOW. Through a social-first approach, inspired by TikTok creators, the team is using the platform as a means to edutain with a series of interactive filters, and partnering with a host of influential creators - including Alice Loxton, Cory Bradford, Anti-Social Studies and comedians Erin Hattamer and Emily Gross.

In the filter that the GLOW team created, users are placed into FDR’s most iconic historical moments - powered by the documentary. The filter experience guides you through iconic FDR eras and quotes - script and all. 

Influencers and the broader TikTok audience will use the chosen quotes to highlight three of FDR’s iconic speech settings. 

- Inauguration, 1933: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

- Fireside Chat, 1938: “We need more than the materials of recovery. We need a united national will.”

- Declaration of War, 1941: "I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us."

Using this as their tool, we’ll see influencers do a range of performances that highlight acting out FDR’s quotes, his support for social justice, his dedication to lead the country while stricken with polio, and creative fun with adapting history for the FYP on TikTok.

Gen z and millennials are increasingly interested in re-examining history through a new lens. An entire genre of TikTok creators and filters are all about bringing a fresh perspective to old stories in the form of pure edutainment take for instance the 4.5B views on #historytok.

“Through this social-first approach, we are able to reach a younger audience and not only educate but entertain them, while still highlighting FDR’s legacy,” said Sean Lynam, director of strategy and innovation. “With TikTok, we were able to creatively show how his words from the past take on a new meaning today.”

The documentary is executive produced by world-renowned presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author Doris Kearns Goodwin, Academy Award®-nominated producer Bradley Cooper, under his production company Lea Pictures, and Academy Award-winning creative production company RadicalMedia, in association with GroupM Motion Entertainment.

The documentary will premiere on The HISTORY Channel Monday 8/7c and will be available to stream on The HISTORY Channel on 5/30. The campaign will be running on The HISTORY Channel’s TikTok.