Reboots are killing it right now. Dynasty, Will and Grace, Charmed, Roswell… there’s no end to the list of shows making it back to our screens. But, Queer Eye is the undisputed Qween of this renaissance. The rebranded makeover show has power-stomped its way to success here in Australia since it re-launched in February this year.
If anything epitomises the hype, it’s grooming expert JVN’s catchphrase ‘YAAASSSSSSS!!!.’ So, after a second season was confirmed almost immediately following launch, we spotted an opportunity too good to miss.
It just so happens that Yass is also a rather lovely town three hours south west of Sydney. We’d go a lot further for wordplay of that calibre.
To promote season two, we set about creating the biggest makeover the show has ever pulled off. The Fab 5 would fly to Australia and bring out the best of the entire town – a renovation of the main pub, the Club House Hotel, and make-better one of Yass’ most popular locals, cattle farmer George – all in just one day.
Once the wheels were in motion, the Fab 5 announced they’d be coming to Australia for a special makeover. We then teased the trip even further by booking up two giant Queer Eye Yass S2 billboards on the main highway in and out of Yass. Cue a LOT of speculation.
During the top secret surprise shoot (which was planned down to the last millisecond), the Fab Five were papped by local press (as was our very own head of production Charlie Done), and rumours continued to swirl as to what they were doing in Australia.
Two of Queer Eye’s fab five, Antoni Porowski and Bobby Berk, were spotted out and about in the New South Wales town of Yass today, working on a makeover of a local pub. #QueerEye#yasspic.twitter.com/SiETMtY5G1
In honour of their contribution to the town, the Mayor of Yass surprised the Fab 5 by crowning them official YASS QUEENS!
The full 20-minute video was published two weeks after the launch of Season 2, giving fans who had binged their way through the season an unexpected treat.
Reactions have been incredible – Australian fans loved the Aussie-ness of the episode, and it was widely praised for their efforts in breaking down toxic masculinity. The campaign also received vast media coverage including coverage in The Guardian, BuzzFeed and Vanity Fair during their short stint in Australia helping to maximise the impact of the campaign on a global scale and put a small Australian town on the map.
