How The Hustle Lab Helped 120 East State Turn Local History Into Community Engagement
- Akeya Fortson-Brown
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
In celebration of the 100th Black History Month (February 2025), 120 East State partnered with The Hustle Lab to relaunch its History Mystery campaign, a community-driven storytelling initiative designed to uncover the untold stories of Black individuals connected to the historic site at 120 East State Street in Trenton, New Jersey.
Following the success of the campaign’s initial launch in 2024, also led by The Hustle Lab, the organization again partnered with The Hustle Lab to develop and execute a comprehensive digital marketing strategy to expand the campaign’s reach and deepen community participation.
The goal was simple but powerful: invite the public to help uncover history that has been overlooked, marginalized, or forgotten.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the campaign provided a timely opportunity to revisit the historical record and ensure the stories of the Black individuals connected to the site are not lost.
The Challenge
120 East State had uncovered documentation showing that several Black individuals had once been present at the historic site. However, their exact connection to the location and what became of their lives afterward remains unknown.
The organization wanted to:
Invite the community into the research process
Spark curiosity and conversation around local history
Drive traffic to a centralized campaign landing page
Encourage the public to share information, leads, and historical insights
The challenge was transforming a historical inquiry into an engaging digital campaign that would reach and motivate the greater Trenton community.
Strategy & Execution
The Hustle Lab implemented a multi-channel marketing strategy designed to maximize awareness and participation.
Campaign Components
Landing Page Development
The Hustle Lab designed and published a campaign landing page on the organization's website to serve as the central hub for the initiative. The page introduced the historical mysteries, shared known information about the individuals, and invited the community to contribute insights.
Campaign page: https://120eaststate.org/historymystery/
Creative Graphic Design (Asset Development)
Creative graphics were developed for both organic and paid social media to spark curiosity and encourage engagement with the campaign.
Paid Media Strategy
The Hustle Lab developed and managed a Meta advertising campaign designed to drive traffic to the landing page and expand the campaign’s reach beyond the organization’s existing audience.
Organic Social Media Campaign
The organization’s social media channels were used to promote the campaign and encourage community discussion.
This effort built upon the social media presence originally developed through The Hustle Lab’s strategic marketing work, in collaboration with the organization’s board and acting executive director.
Email Newsletter Integration
Recognizing that email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach and engage the organization’s existing audience, The Hustle Lab integrated the campaign into the organization’s email newsletter.
This ensured that the organization’s most engaged supporters, subscribers who already care about its mission, were directly invited to participate in uncovering this piece of local history.
Newsletter: https://givebutter.com/messages/view/a6b22374-00ff-4e88-a213-6b00b4bb7aea
Results
The campaign successfully generated strong engagement and community interest.
Key Metrics
$0.15 cost per landing page view
3.87% click-through rate
30,400+ impressions
1,100+ landing page views
Numerous social media comments
Multiple inquiries sent directly to the organization’s inbox
Beyond the metrics, the campaign sparked community curiosity and conversation around Trenton’s Black history, inviting community members to participate in historical discovery.
Impact
The History Mystery campaign demonstrates how strategic storytelling and digital marketing can transform historical research into community participation and cultural preservation.
By inviting the public to help uncover the identities and stories of individuals connected to the site, the campaign created a bridge between the past and present.
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, initiatives like this ensure that the nation’s history reflects all of the voices that helped shape it.
For The Hustle Lab, the campaign represents what meaningful marketing looks like, using strategy, storytelling, and digital platforms to create real community impact.
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