For RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 15, a primary objective was to take an execution we’ve done numerous times and completely re-invent what that looks like. Season 15 was a special season featuring a record 16 competing queens. We aimed to create a longer composite video and deliver it on our season reveal livestream to maximize views and create the most impact with a singular piece of content. We wanted this season to feel different, special and unique and never before had we introduced a cast quite like this.
The production behind a RuVeal/Meet the Queens shoot for a new season is always one of the most important and challenging shoots of the year. There is a standard of excellence we strive for plus an expectation to deliver bigger, better and different content than what our audiences have seen before. Working alongside our design team to create a pink racetrack set, we knew the queens themselves would be the stars of the images we planned to capture. We simultaneously captured fun interviews with the queens to show the audience the personalities behind the runway looks. We had the queens reflect on their journeys and comment on what it means to be on season 15, which we then planned to intercut with behind-the-scenes footage of the beauty broll we were capturing on the stage. We believed this unique structure and combination of compelling content would make this RuVeal feel like something new.
With over 2 million views on YouTube alone, the seaon 15 RuVeal execution was a certified success. The simplified and streamlined creative changes coupled with a release strategy that maximized audience attention, helped lead to the most successful All Star Meet the Queens to date. Fan sentiment was overwhelmingly positive, with many commenting on how elevated everything looked from the queen’s costumes to the actual production quality of the video. Additionally, audiences appreciated how different and refreshing the rollout felt, helping to accomplish a key objective we set out from the project’s conception. All in all, this was one of the most successful undertakings from RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2023.
