This story is the latest in a series exploring how brands craft standout social media strategies. If you\u2019d like to chat about how your brand is approaching social, Katie Hicks wants to hear about it. Reach out to her at hicks@morningbrew.com.<\/em><\/p>\n A mouse in the office. A fish fillet in the microwave. An employee locked in a closet. All of these relatable office situations have made for the basis of InStyle magazine\u2019s social-first mockumentary series The Intern.<\/em><\/p>\n In the year since it debuted, all eight seasons and 40-plus episodes of The Intern<\/em> have generated more than 36 million views. The Boss<\/em>, its newest series that premiered in February, so far has 2.3 million views.<\/p>\n InStyle\u2019s editor in chief, Sally Holmes, told us that both series are meant to be \u201centertaining first,\u201d rather than traffic-drivers. Yet they stand out as a new way of bringing InStyle to a new generation. The magazine now counts more than 15 million followers across social channels.<\/p>\n \u201cIt has been fun to watch the comments from people who discovered InStyle through [The Intern<\/em>],\u201d Holmes said. \u201cWhen I was a teenager, I waited for InStyle magazine to come in the mail\u2026and now for the new generation of teenagers, what that looks like is, \u2018I can\u2019t wait for my new show to drop on social.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As print media continue to face numerous business challenges, InStyle has turned The Intern<\/em> into a monetizable vessel, with brands like Fossil and e.l.f. Cosmetics appearing in certain episodes. Additional sponsors, Holmes said, are already on board for new series ideas. Last month, InStyle\u2019s parent company, People Inc., reported a 14% rise in digital revenue growth year over year and a 9% YoY increase in ad revenue, even as print revenues have continued to decline.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat has made this successful is that we are doing something that is true to us and our brand and people like it,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cThen we figured out how to monetize that.\u201d<\/p>\n We spoke with Holmes about what goes into the making of its series behind the scenes.<\/p>\n Holmes said the InStyle team was inspired to create The Intern<\/em> after seeing other brands create original series for social and after collaborating with jewelry brand Alexis Bittar on its series, The Bittarverse<\/em>, in 2024. For one season, Holmes and her deputy editor came up with the idea to play on relatable office tropes while telling the story of two interns, played by creator duo Grant and Ash, who scheme to attend the Met Gala.<\/p>\n InStyle cast creator Micky Gordon as its newest intern in Season 3, followed by other creators like Kennedy Eurich, Connor Wood, and Boman Martinez-Reid. The most recent episodes in Season 8 feature creator friend duo Halley Kate and Jaz Smith, who Holmes hopes will attract a fashion-oriented, younger audience.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople have different kinds of humor, and so they react differently to the different creators,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cIt\u2019s been very fun to work with different talent and have their audiences discover InStyle through them.\u201d<\/p>\n As The Intern<\/em> grew in popularity, Holmes said her team had the idea to make a new series that allowed for bigger-name guests who couldn\u2019t be believably cast as interns. In the first season of The Boss<\/em>, actor and creator Julia Fox takes on the fake role of \u201ctemporary permanent ambassador of slayage,\u201d and fashion designer Brandon Blackwood steps in to lead an office renovation.<\/p>\n Marketing Brew informs marketing pros of the latest on brand strategy, social media, and ad tech via our weekday newsletter, virtual events, marketing conferences, and digital guides.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThere are so many crazy things that bosses have done to all of us,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cIt felt like an opportunity to play that other side of it as well, where the power dynamic shifts a little bit and there\u2019s a whole other end of jokes that you have the opportunity to play off of.\u201d<\/p>\n InStyle\u2019s series are unscripted and rely on the humor and acting chops of real InStyle employees and guests\u2014with a bit of producer guidance, of course. (Any employees who fear not being funny have assurance from Holmes that there is \u201cmagic in the edit,\u201d she said.)<\/p>\n As a recurring character herself, Holmes said she\u2019ll sometimes ask for direction, but more often than not, she tries to react naturally to the \u201cabsurdity\u201d of each situation.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people are like, \u2018What\u2019s the secret sauce?\u2019 It sounds so cheesy, but\u2026from the person who is literally sitting here filming it\u2026to the creators that we bring in, everyone is willing to take risks and cheer each other on and have fun with it,\u201d Holmes said. \u201cI think the second it becomes not fun is when it starts to show on camera.\u201d<\/p>\n Given the nonchronological nature of algorithms, each episode of The Intern<\/em> was designed to be viewed as standalone pieces of content that still have obvious throughlines, Holmes said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think of it like an episode of Friends<\/em> or any of those sitcoms where\u2026you could see Episode 5 or Episode 95 and still be entertained and not have needed to see the episode before,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n That format allows InStyle to promote its work, including its Imagemaker Awards, as they\u2019re happening. An episode of The Intern<\/em> where Gordon gets locked in a closet at the Imagemakers is intended for audiences who may not have known about the awards ceremony and could then stumble upon clips from the real red carpet. Holmes\u2019s team is currently thinking up new ways to feature InStyle\u2019s work in its series, including the magazine\u2019s upcoming F1 party in Miami.<\/p>\n When it comes to promoting brands in the episodes themselves, Holmes said InStyle is upfront about its partnerships, with the belief that if sponsored content feels true to the series, it will likely be accepted by audiences.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just about being authentic and not trying to get away with anything,\u201d she said. \u201cMake it part of the series and acknowledge it because it\u2019s normal now.\u201d<\/p>\nCast of characters<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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