The Paramount+ show Drag Queen Specials, a comedy series featuring the world’s leading Queens, was a challenger show launching on a challenger streaming service. With a modest budget, Drag Queen Specials risked becoming a wallflower. The quantifiable objectives were based on viewership of the show, and the halo effect on Paramount+ comedy viewing in general.

But this was about more than winning eyeballs, it was about winning hearts. We didn't just need to launch a show; we needed to orchestrate a spectacle, making sure our audience saw Paramount+ as the true home of drag magic and queer excellence. With LGBTQI+ culture openly embraced by the mainstream, our audience was broad.

Paramount+ proprietary research revealed the biggest draw to attending drag queen performances was comedy and audience interaction, and this insight acted as the launch pad for our campaign.

Creating a distinction for Drag Queen Specials was paramount. Test screenings of the Specials showed one stand-out: the comedic ‘roasts’ were the strongest engagement drivers. It’s the attitude, not the appearance, that give drag queens their point of difference.

Paramount+ proprietary research validated this, finding the biggest drawcard to attending drag queen performances was comedy (48%) and audience interaction (39%).

At a broader cultural level, social media analysis revealed a complementary linguistic trend. The scale at which young audiences were embracing terminology that originated form the drag queen scene was increasing. Language, not looks, offer the richest opportunity to connect audiences to the show.

The launch of Drag Queen Specials coincided with Sydney World Pride. A boon for contextual relevance, yes, but also an increased risk of the campaign backfiring. Rainbow-washing was rife, so ensuring Paramount+ contributed to the event experience was essential, rather than just riding the bandwagon.

Because LGBTQI+ culture is openly embraced by the mainstream, our target audience wasn’t niche, it was broad. Australians across the country could have direct touchpoints with the campaign, while Sydney was the epicentre of our activations.

The strategy leant into the insight that a drag queen’s most distinctive asset was not how they looked, but what they said; to showcase the spirit of drag, we chose audio, with attitude. Playing to audio’s key strength, drag queen humour would give the audience a taste of being at a drag performance (without actually being at a drag performance).

Art Simone would introduce Drag Queen Specials to Australians through a multi-dimensional audio approach encompassing linear radio, audio streaming, podcasting and smart speakers.

The audio approach would build notoriety for Drag Queen Specials, while also introducing new audio experiences that demonstrated a commitment from Paramount+ to the LGBTQI+ community.

Running from February to March 2023, no channel fit for roasting was skipped. Voiced by Art Simone, high-frequency messaging ran across radio, and she also gatecrashed Australia’s biggest podcasts and roasted the hosts.

Extending reach for Sydney World Pride, iHeart Radio created a digital radio station, Pride Radio, where Art Simone ‘read’ listeners during broadcast. To drive Paramount+ viewing, a competition encouraged listeners to have a ‘night in’ and watch Drag Queen Specials with the opportunity to win an at-home viewing pack, including food delivery vouchers.

The jewel in the diamante-studded crown was the design of a bespoke Smart Speaker voice skill, bringing Art Simone into peoples’ homes to roast them, and it could be accessed through smart devices such as Alexa or Google Nest. Using smart speaker commands like “Alexa, ask The Comedy Queen to roast me”, users could bring Art Simone into their homes for a real-time roasting.

As predicted, Australians are rather partial to a roasting. The audio-led approach went beyond the big hair, bright makeup, and bold fashion. Instead, it brought drag queen voices to the forefront to deliver media, brand, and business success.

• The 360-degree audio partnership exceeded awareness and engagement benchmarks, reaching 1.6 million people aged 18-45 in the linear spot schedule.

• 87% of people listened to the bespoke Pride station after learning about it.

• The smart speaker skill ensured Art Simone roasted over 1,300 victims.

• Audio allowed Art Simone to authentically connect during World Pride. Despite a climate of rainbow-washing, no negative sentiment was tracked.

• The campaign assisted in a 23% increase of first streams on Paramount+ Comedy Specials.

• In launch week, viewership on Specials increased by 16%.

As a further demonstration of effectiveness, Paramount+ has increased investment in all audio touchpoints for subsequent comedy launches.