By now, we have all seen the commercials featuring the sparkling pink hued container of Squirrel Blend Ruby Royale nut blend and heard the familiar sound of RuPaul’s Drag Race star, recording star, and actress Latrice Royale delivering famed lines like “Good Good Get A Grip Girl”! The instantly infectious advertising make it no surprise that the snack brand (over one hundred and twenty five years old) snagged Royale to serve “body, beauty, luxury and all these … nuts.” in the series of ads. Royale also made a bit of history as the first drag queen to appear in drag on QVC during her two appearances at the end of January (in both afternoon and evening segments); ‘Black Girl Magic’ indeed!
The plan for Squirrel Brand to “gatecrash” the Valentine’s Day market happened relatively organically. “When we were looking at it, there’s an analogy with love,” Mick Sutter, executive creative director of Huge (the agency that worked with Squirrel Brand on the campaign), said to Campaign US. “It’s really complex. It’s not super sweet or saccharin, it’s not simple. Valentine’s Day tends to be reductive when it comes to love. We really wanted to open up that aperture.”
As they brainstormed, the Huge creative team quickly made the connection between the product name and the name of the famed drag performer. The creative campaign, aptly titled “Latrice Royale for Ruby Royale,” showcases Royale in a series of ads decked out in rhinestones and a custom-made pink dress, sharing her own views on love.
Latrice exclusively told Instinct “Receiving the news confirming that I have made ‘HERSTORY’, was the highlight of my birthday! I was all aglow just having gone through the experience that is QVC, but to learn that I am the first Queen to grace the network was monumental for me. I check a lot of boxes in the minority department; I am black, I am gay, I am a Drag Queen! The idea that I have reached a demographic far removed from my normal fan base, is such a proud moment. It is Black History Month, and what a great way to celebrate black excellence!“
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