Max and it's LGBTQ+ community platform Human By Orientation set out to activate in Miami during Art Basel weekend 2023 with a singular mission: harness the power of the Max brand and its LGBTQ+ content and characters in support of the local queer community in Florida, and amplify the results for as wide an audience as possible. This community was – and is – under siege by anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including one that bans drag in public in the presence of minors. We wanted to leave a meaningful impression with both local, national and Art Basel-attending audiences that Max is unwavering in its commitment to empowering queer artistry and visibility – including when and where visibility is being threatened. We aimed to create engaging real-life experiences in which guests could interact with and be inspired by drag artists, and also to create a full-length narrative video featurette chronicling actual drag transformations, and the humanity and artistry behind them. We also wanted to hero and leverage the crucial work Equality Florida, the state’s largest non-profit organization advocating for pro LGBTQ+ causes and legislation, to serve as the strategic backbone of this campaign. We knew relying on Equality Florida’s expertise and counsel would be crucial in executing a campaign that was tactically impactful, sensitive to local communities, legally sound, and most importantly, safe for all participating individuals and organizations. With their unwavering support, our goal was to drive impact through strategic storytelling across all platforms, actual IRL community connections, and earned/paid media value.
We designed an experience that mirrored HBO’s We’re Here, a docuseries that exposes small communities to the humanity and creativity of drag by showcasing their transformation. That inspiration carried through to our featurette, which follows our two “full makeover” subjects through the complete and immersive drag transformation process, learning more about their personal histories and motivations along the way. Baked into the strategy of this campaign was advice and counsel provided by our nonprofit partner Equality Florida, which is intimately familiar with both Miami’s drag community and the laws that impact it, and which actively battles Florida’s anti-queer and anti-drag legislation.
The setting was “The Art of Drag” Pop-Up Truck Tour itself, comprised of drag-inspired mini-makeovers, performances, a video booth and multiple giveaways at two of Miami’s most iconic drag venues. We filmed the featurette inside our custom glass-walled mobile drag “dressing room” – covered with original show-inspired art by non-binary illustrator Mithsuca Berry – which we parked at Palace South Beach and R House Wynwood, both of which are known for daily drag showcases and performances from some of the US’s top drag talent. Our stop at R House was particularly meaningful, as it was the scene of a controversial viral incident that led to the passing of the state’s anti-drag bill. We forged partnerships with 10 drag queens to play various roles in our two-day Tour, including Latrice Royale (star of We’re Here season 4) and Morphine Love Dion (star of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 16). These roles ranged from hosting our experience for drag brunch guests, to performing drag-inspired “mini-makeovers” for dozens of attendees, to performing “full makeovers” on-camera for our film crew, to consulting on costumes, products, and how best to reflect Miami’s unique drag style. Trixie Cosmetics provided hundreds of eyeshadow palettes and powered more than 50 free drag-inspired mini-makeovers for brunch attendees and passersby – complete with wigs, lashes and makeup. We built an immersive video booth set in a monochromatic fantasy dressing room, which makeover recipients could enjoy post-glam. We handed out hundreds of custom clack-fans – also designed by Berry in the campaign’s unique visual style – featuring characters and quotes from beloved Max titles including The White Lotus and Trixie Motel. Finally, we executed two full drag transformation makeovers, care of our queens, complete with custom costumes and wigs inspired by Max characters. One of our full-makeover subjects was none other than Jeff Delmay, Equality Florida’s board co-chair, famous in the state for being half of one of the first gay couples to get married in the state, suing for the rights of all gay couples to do so and eventually winning.
Shot in real time during our activation, the final product was a fully narrative featurette, which we published and distributed in partnership with Out.com and amplified by its affiliates as well as our talent partners. The featurette showcased our visually impactful, cohesively designed activation, but most importantly, let viewers in on the heart and humanity of drag artistry.
The Art of Drag was a creative and strategic success, by any measure. Our many partnerships with venues, talent, product vendors and artists helped us maximize our activation’s visibility. Max programming lived in the DNA of every aspect of the experience and resultant coverage, creating pathways back to the Max platform as we told an urgent, original story all our own.
Our partnership with Equality Florida was at the very core of the campaign’s success. Their strategists, consultants, legal counsel and even their board co-chair supported Max in making a positive and authentic impact in Miami during a delicate cultural and political climate. Max featured messaging and awareness of the organization across social media, co-branded t-shirts with their logo lockup, and co-branded countertop signage featuring QR codes for guests to scan and learn how they could offer support. Jeff Delmay, Equality Florida’s co-chair, played a critical role beyond just being a canvas for drag by sharing Equality Florida’s purpose and his story within our Featurette, further enriching our captured content and achieving our goal of spreading awareness of the organization.
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