Beginning in 2022, the LGBTQ+ community and drag in particular have been under attack in the US in a way we haven’t seen in years. From drag bans happening across the country to anti-trans laws being passed, the queer community as a whole was being subjected to unnecessary cruelty for just being themselves and celebrating who they are.
The LGBTQ+ community needed allies. They needed to know that people cared. They needed more than just an added rainbow during Pride Month. They needed real, high-profile support from reputable names and brands. American Dad on TBS network was the unlikely hero to come out as supporting drag and putting its money where its mouth was. #AmericanDrag, a campaign supporting TBS’s animated comedy, American Dad, was created to remind TV viewers that they see and accept drag all the time.
TBS wanted to raise awareness for the 350th episode of the iconic animated comedy, American Dad. They wanted high engagement on social, something shareable that people could get behind, and it needed to be centered around Roger, the persona-donning alien that lives with the Smith family.
#AmericanDrag was a social concept that would help normalize drag and show TBS’ allyship, while fundraising and bringing awareness to the Trevor Project, a charity that helps at-risk LGBTQ youth. We produced a :60 hero piece that was paired with a singular tweet encouraging people to quote-tweet using “#AmericanDrag,” with each quote tweet raising $1 for the Trevor Project.
Our hero piece featured hilarious, world-renowned drag queens, Trixie Mattel and Trinity the Tuck, honoring Roger as the drag icon she always was.
The campaign launched on May 8th, 2023 and over the course of the week, it had amassed:
17K total retweets
11.6K quote-tweets
26.9K likes
8.3M views
$20K raised for Trevor Project
Within a few hours of launch, “#AmericanDrag” was the #1 trending topic on Twitter, and stayed put there for several hours.
The reception was overwhelmingly positive from American Dad fans and the drag community. People were pointing out that if you ever watched the show, even casually, you know drag and you find the humor in it. Fans were schooling each other in the comments.
Many supporters quote-tweeted stated that they don’t watch the show, but are now counting themselves as fans and want to tune in to see Roger’s looks.
Drag queens and other members of the LGBTQ+ community praised TBS publicly and sent DMs thanking us for supporting their community and showing up for them when so few companies would.
