Voting Media

Stars go silent in HBO’s ‘Rock the Vote’ promo citing that the most important voice is yours

By Kyle O'Brien, Creative Works Editor

September 27, 2018 | 3 min read

Actors are rarely the silent type, so it’s entrancing to watch some of the top movie and television stars remain quiet as they stare into a camera for HBO’s Rock the Vote spot.

Maggie Gyllenhaal for HBO's Rock the Vote

As the midterm elections approach, many organizations are trying to get people to the polls, despite the historically poor turnouts of past midterms. To address this reality, HBO is using its platform and the influence of its talent to partner with ‘Rock the Vote,’ once again, for a coordinated campaign to encourage participation and a deeper understanding of the issues at stake this election season.

The spot, created by Mekanism New York, kicked off National Voter Registration Day. The campaign also featured a collection of social videos that focus on the importance of voter registration.

HBO talent including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jeffrey Wright, Tony Hale, Jessica Williams, Phoebe Robinson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Thomas Middleditch, Kumail Nanjiani and others are all part of a spot that sees them looking straight into the camera, as though they are just about to speak – but they never do. Instead, an end card comes up with the message: “Right now, there’s only one voice that needs to be heard. Yours.”

Many of those same stars have recorded custom, 15-second spots featuring them solely staring into the camera. The spots finish with the activation: Rock the Vote / TEXT HBO018 to 788.683 or HBO.com/vote. The talent videos, along with an anthem spot, will be shared across talent and HBO brand social channels.

This is the first spot in a larger partnership between HBO and Rock the Vote.