Happy TGIF! Shoutout to my early readers who vibed with my last piece—your love and support mean the world!
Now, let's dive into something that hits close to home: Freaknik, the wildest party Atlanta, and perhaps the country, has ever seen. As a Morehouse man from '91 to '95, I lived through the peak years of Freaknik and the '90s renaissance of Black Atlanta in general.
Trust me, the memories are nothing short of legendary.
The new Hulu documentary "Freaknik: The Wildest Party Never Told" tells the story of what started in 1983 as a small picnic in a public park near the Atlanta University Center, sponsored by the D.C. Metro Club for students who couldn't afford to return home for spring break, and turned it into an iconic cultural phenomenon. However, behind the legendary turn-up, there's a cautionary tale screaming at brand owners everywhere, especially in the app, event, services, and consumer product categories.
The management of the Freaknik brand, including the event itself, was primarily presided over by the DC Metro Club, a chartered campus organization. However, in 1988, Spelman College President Johnetta B. Cole (one of the great HBCU presidents of my generation) banned the DC Metro Club from involvement with Freaknik due to school liability reasons. Management and promotion of the event then transferred to an independent national promoter, and that was the beginning of their problems. Soon, Freaknik spiraled from a wholesome college event into a city-wide block party. The original black college reunion vibe got lost as non-HBCU individuals hijacked the event, turning it into something unrecognizable—filled with public debauchery and chaos. The pivotal moment resulting in the full loss of control of what would briefly become one of the most powerful and profitable entertainment trademarks in the 21st century was when non-HBCU students trademarked "Freaknik," diluting the event's identity.
I don’t have enough time to cover it here, but one element of Freaknik that the documentary failed to cover was the economic impact. Not just for the city of Atlanta but for the entire urban black cultural network at the time. Shoutout to Bomani Jones@righttimebomani for his take on this very point (Bo, you should have been in the doc, brother). The number of Freaknik videotapes sold in barbershops across the country, alongside all of the Bart Simpson t-shirts and other related, iconic Freaknik paraphernalia, had to total in the tens of millions of dollars. And this windfall was mostly transacted in the unofficial black market of the hood—barbershops, beauty salons, liquor stores, bodegas, and your ex-con uncle’s basement.
And lastly, the effect that Freaknik had on the astronomic population growth of young black professionals in the city of Atlanta from the late 90's throughout the early 2000's, is undeniable. I personally know people who came to Atlanta for one weekend of Freaknik —and never left. Others relocated on the promise of a weekend lover or a high school buddy’s invitation, only to find themselves sleeping in their car until they figured it out. That is another legacy of Freaknik that someone will hopefully document one day. But I digress…
The Freaknik saga is a masterclass in what NOT to do when building a brand. The original Freaknik founders failed to secure their legal branding and intellectual property, leaving the door wide open for others to redefine what Freaknik was meant to be. The lack of a clear identity and legal ownership meant that what started as a celebration of Black college culture became synonymous with the very issues the founders tried to avoid.
We've seen this narrative play out in the business world, too. Remember how the Winklevoss twins famously sued Mark Zuckerberg over the creation of Facebook, claiming it was their idea for HarvardConnection, now a defunct social network? Or how about brands whose logos or names totally missed the mark on communicating their purpose, like the infamous London 2012 Olympics logo?
But let's cut the original Freaknik founders some slack; they were just college kids, after all. They unintentionally kickstarted one of the most iconic festivals in modern U.S. history. And that, folks, deserves some major props.
For all you aspiring brand owners out there, take this story to heart. Before your idea takes off, make sure you've got a clear brand identity and the legalities locked down. Don't let your vision get hijacked and turned into something you never intended.
Freaknik's story is more than just a trip down memory lane; it's a lesson in brand ownership, identity, and the importance of protecting your creative vision. Let's keep the spirit of innovation alive but remember to dot those I's and cross those T's. Keep dreaming, keep building, and who knows? Your brand might just be the next big thing to rock the culture. Happy Easter Weekend y'all. ONE.
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