When Hulu debuted its Get Real House last year, it was like “lighting in a bottle,” says Kottie Kreischer, svp-events at Disney Entertainment Television. The event brought together the streaming service’s reality TV stars under one roof to share announcements, offer series first looks and create content-gathering opportunities. With all the positive buzz the event generated, Hulu had to bring it back, but year two saw everything scaled up.
On April 22, more than 150 unscripted TV icons and creatives—along with press, content creators and brand partners—gathered at a mansion in L.A. for realityverse reveals, conversations and crossovers, including the introduction of the cast of “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” and Robert Irwin announcing the new competition series, “Dancing with the Stars: The Next Pro.”
New for this year, the experience extended beyond the Get Real House to fans at home through a livestream, a red-carpet TikTok Live on @Hulu and a replay of the event available on Hulu. Plus, a new “Get Real” podcast that was recorded on-site is streaming weekly on Hulu and podcast platforms with guest hosts and celeb panelists.
“The first time we did this, it was born out of the idea of, how can we spotlight our entire unscripted slate in one really interesting way? Is that an event, a press junket or a content creator day?” says Candice Ashton, evp-publicity at Disney Entertainment Television. “Get Real was born out of a mix of all of it, where we break a lot of news and garner interest for all of our reality shows. The first year was such a success that we knew we had to do it again, and now, we will likely do this annually.”
To elevate the second edition of Get Real House, Hulu went bigger with its stage presentation on the lawn, Instagrammable moments, activations and sponsor integrations. Kreischer says the team wanted the experience to be “more immersive, more dynamic,” and attendees had the opportunity to engage with eight on-site activations tied to Hulu’s unscripted and reality content.
The House Tour
As attendees entered the foyer, they were greeted with a glass of champagne for the “Vanderpump Villa” Welcome Toast. Then, they stepped into the Welcome Lounge that featured a wall gallery of framed artwork showcasing the Hulu series’ stars and their most iconic, viral moments. Cole Walliser was on the scene, running a Glambot on the staircase, which, according to Kreischer, was a huge hit, especially for fans who wanted to snap a selfie with the popular director of slow-mo videos.
Speaking of selfies, at “The Secret Wives of Mormon Wives” Selfie Sanctuary, participants could take photos with illuminated mirrors that featured show-inspired phrases like “The Holy Algorithm” and “The Gospel According to MomTok,” as well as personalize a phone case with monograms, rings, mirrors and suction mounts. “The Kardashians” Korner was a gifting lounge with a selection of products from Kardashian-Jenner brands, such as Kylie Cosmetics, 818 Tequila, Almost Always, Skims, lemme and Safely.
Attendees had their “Dancing with the Stars” close-up in the Dance Studio, decked out in real set pieces from the show for photo and video ops. Booth by Bryant had a vintage-style photo booth that printed black-and-white photo strips, and “Love Thy Nader” Down Home Gumbo gave attendees a taste of the Nader sisters’ hometown Louisiana gumbo recipe from Mama Nader.
“The first thing we did was developed our activation concept, and we wanted to match the unique vibe of each of our shows and create something that felt very shareable for guests. From a design standpoint, the goal was to let each title come to life in its own distinct way, but make sure everything felt cohesive under the broader Get Real umbrella,” Kreischer says. “All of our shows are loud, fun and full of personality, so we leaned into that to make the overall aesthetic of the house feel vibrant and high-energy for everyone because about 80 percent of our list was content creators and influencers.”
Outside, Hulu celebrated the release of new series “Love Overboard” through a yacht-shaped bounce house. (As Ashton says, “Who doesn’t love a bounce house?”) And, the outdoor footprint also included the main stage and viewing area, a dj booth, the “Get Real” red-carpet backdrop and sponsor activations.
7 Brew Coffee’s pop-up served its signature beverages, while a “Jimmy Kimmel Live” activation featured Guillermo’s Salsa and Casamigos Tequila. Dog food brand Ollie hosted a Fur Real station with dogs and puppies to play with, and a sketch artist created custom drawings on co-branded notecards for attendees.
Guest Lists and Checklists
Ashton describes the guest list for Get Real House as “medium-sized and highly curated” to ensure all the right people are in the room. The team usually starts with Hulu’s reality and unscripted talent, and from there, they invite press and media partners, followed by content creators and influencers with whom they have an established relationship. Creative partners, producing partners and studio partners are also in the mix.
“Our unscripted talent are now content creators and influencers in their own right. They are social media tastemakers,” Ashton says. “Part of the reason we do this at a house is because we want it to feel aspirational, but also similar to a lot of our reality shows, like ‘The Bachelor,’ for example, which takes place in a mansion. Even though the house is sprawling, it dictates how many people can be invited. In fact, it has its own manmade lake, but you still want it to feel intimate, and you want a little bit of FOMO.”
There was a lot for the team to balance with three main touchpoints swirling around one another: the social-first activations; the hourlong, livestreamed stage presentation featuring talent and announcements; and the reality shows that brought their own production crews to film their cast members taking part in the event for future storylines, including “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Orange County” and “Love Thy Nader.”
“This Get Real event became part of our reality shows, so it has upped the ante for us,” Ashton says. “It’s a lot of curation that has to exist for social media, for a television show and for livestreaming.”
But once it was all said and done—and drinks by official main bar sponsor Casamigos Tequila were flowing—sponsor Wendy’s came in clutch with a late-night food drop, serving up its upgraded Spicy Chicken Sandwiches, fries and Frosty Treats. (Agencies: Unboxed Group; PR DEPT)
Photos: Courtesy of Hulu
