diarra from detroit

Diarra from Detroit is a dark comedy with a distinctive neo-noir sensibility and a strong sense of place. The challenge was to create a launch campaign that captured the show's offbeat voice while positioning it as fresh, stylish, and contemporary. Featuring Diarra’s iconic muscle car was our main directive from the showrunners. We also treated Detroit not simply as a backdrop but as a main character.

Using existing shoot photography, I developed the key art around Diarra and the showrunners’ required muscle car. Snow-covered streets and Detroit architecture grounded the image in the season’s winter setting, while cinematic color and stylized typography brought out the show’s neo-noir personality. I extended the artwork across streaming, social, digital, event, and out-of-home formats. I also developed key art comps for season two with an Indiana Jones/adventure direction.

Creative Director — Nia Lawrence
Art Director — Rebecca Wheatman
Photographer — Chrisean Rose
Mural Artist — Sydney G. James
Copywriter — Aubrey Williams

#1 New Cable Series Among Black Viewers — Ranked first among new cable series during its 2025 BET broadcast run.
100% Rotten Tomatoes — Season 1 earned a perfect critics' score.
Industry Recognition — Two NAACP Image Award nominations, two Independent Spirit Award nominations, and a GLAAD Media Award nomination.
Best of 2024 — Named among the year's best television shows by Deadline, Rolling Stone, and Variety.