When it comes to promoting new and returning series through live events, FX Networks usually seeks to immerse guests in an environment inspired by the show—be it interactive comic-book-theme art installations for its Marvel series Legion or a wool-covered tour bus for its Fargo anthology series.
Ahead of the premiere of the network’s newest anthology series Trust—which dramatizes the Getty family saga—FX hosted seated dinners for influencers and media in New York and Los Angeles, which tied in the series’ theme of opulence through food, wall projections, and decor. The events, which took place at luxury venues Down Town Association in New York on March 14 and Greystone Mansion in Los Angeles on March 20—were produced and designed by BMF Media.
Kenya Hardaway, the senior vice president of integrated promotions at FX, said the series launch gave the network an opportunity to welcome guests into the world of the extremely wealthy—particularly through the setting of a home with an affluent host.
“We often look for an interesting way to introduce our network’s take on a tale and get people excited about how we’re going to present it. We’ve done seated dinners in the past, and it’s about finding a unique way to entertain people while they’re doing that,” Hardaway said. “Our story-based dining experience made this world accessible for our guests and allowed them to enjoy a virtual excursions very few are accustomed to. It was an opportunity to engage multiple senses and drive excitement for the series.”
The events began with a cocktail reception with drinks with on-theme names such as "Filthy Rich," followed by the seated dinner that guests were led to by a hired actor posing as a butler. Additional decor that added to the opulent environment included taxidermy animals decorated in jewelry. The seated dinners featured lavish tablescapes and a four-course menu, with dishes inspired by the wall projections of various environments from Brad Peterson Design—in partnership with BMF—that nodded to a hyper-wealthy lifestyle.
“We wanted to take people through multiple environments inspired by the series itself,” said Hardaway, referring to images and sounds that evoked the Italian coast, an oil well, and a trip on a private plane. “Once we had that, we decided to pick a menu and cocktails, and thematically tie that to the virtual excursion.”
Hardaway also explained that the network wanted to generate buzz ahead of the premiere by inviting tastemakers and influencers to both events. The New York event generated 4.13 million impressions on social media.
Trust, which stars Donald Sutherland, Hilary Swank, and Brendan Fraser, premieres March 25. Here's a look at how the network created its Getty-inspired dinners.
