Winner Story
Squirrel Friends by Paramount
In 2022, Paramount, in partnership with MTV Entertainment, World of Wonder, and iHeartMedia, won a w3 Gold Award in General Series – Pop Culture for their brand new podcast series: Squirrel Friends.
Every Friday, hosts Alec Mapa and Loni Love cover all things RuPaul’s Drag Race and cover each week’s favorite queens, celebrities, and superfans. Listen to one of their most recent episodes: “Blaming It On The Edit with Trixie Mattel & Loosey LaDuca”.
We spoke with the team at Paramount to a get more of a behind the scenes look into the creation of the podcast, the team, and some of the challenges they have encountered.
How did this podcast come to be? Who came up with the idea?
RuPaul’s Drag Race is an iconic franchise with talented queens and we wanted to continue to elevate its value through podcasting. All Stars Season 7 premiered in May 2022, and we felt it was the perfect time to tie Squirrel Friends to the season launch. RuPaul and Drag is big in the podcasting space, and we wanted to be part of the conversation directly from the brand. The podcast was created through a partnership between MTV Entertainment, World of Wonder, and iHeartMedia, and the collaborative effort between all parties really brought this podcast to life.
What challenges did you encounter when you started the series and how did you overcome them?
There are so many details and storylines to fit into the podcast, it was a challenge to figure out how to recap all of the great moments and describe the fashion and runways for an audio medium. But of course the podcast is a compliment to the show, so it’s really a place to recap and react to the moments we all just watched on TV.
Which aspects of the team’s work are you most proud of?
Overall, we’re thrilled to celebrate the culture and creativity of drag performers, especially when there is so much animosity and panic around the basic rights of the LGBTQ+ community. The evolution of the podcast has been rewarding as well in that we’re recapping all of the best moments from so many great seasons of Drag Race, plus we’ve had queens on to have more in-depth conversations that really show who they are and what motivates them as performers and artists.
How has the podcast contributed to Paramount’s mission?
Squirrel Friends contributes to the flywheel of Paramount’s iconic brands and powerful content that make and mark culture. We are also always looking for opportunities to elevate meaningful dialogue on diversity and inclusion while giving it the right platform. This creative excellence, coupled with an effort to drive thoughtful engagement, translates to our podcasts that are rooted in renowned brands fans know and love.
Why did you enter the w3 Awards?
The w3 Awards exemplify what Squirrel Friends aims to be — creativity formed from a goal to break boundaries and impact digital culture. The creation of Squirrel Friends has carved a way for Paramount to share its brand and talent to the audio space, and as podcasting continues to grow, we believe that Squirrel Friends is a spark in the industry that helps shape and curate the experience of Paramount IPs.