In honor of Pride Month, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire is releasing “Drag Queen Mukbang,” a branded content series that pairs two popular Millennial food trends: mukbang and the drag queen brunch. The four episode series will feature YouTube sensation Patrick Starrr, Gia Gunn, Eugene Lee Yang and Laganja Estranja serving up a virtual dining experience filled with food and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire, while they also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on their lives and the LGBTQ+ community. With an aim to champion organizations and initiatives that support the LGBTQ+ community, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire has partnered with GLAAD and various local nonprofits across the country for its campaign.
Starting today for the next four Saturdays, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire will release a new episode featuring each of the stars of the series on JackFirePride.com. Patrick Starrr’s episode premieres today, with episodes featuring Gia Gunn (June 27), Eugene Lee Yang (July 4), and Laganja Estranja (July 11) to follow. Check out all the episodes below:
With bars, clubs and event spaces shuttered in the wake of the pandemic, drag queens and other self-employed entertainers who earn their livelihoods from performing at these venues have faced unprecedented financial hardship, which will be addressed by the “Drag Queen Mukbang” hosts in each video. A longtime supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, Jack Daniel’s parent company Brown-Forman has received a perfect score for 10 consecutive years on the Corporate Equality Index, a national report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
Due to national stay-at-home orders, each episode was self-shot entirely by the hosts. Any hosts that appear together in an episode are also in quarantine together, in compliance with social distancing restrictions. In addition to handling production duties, the performers designed their own sets using whatever materials were readily available — with the exception of Tennessee Fire products.
Hear what the stars of the series had to say about the campaign below:
“I wore a costume that I already had on hand and did the makeup myself,” said Eugene Lee Yang. “We may be limited in what we can do while filming, but Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire worked with us every step of the way to create the ultimate drag-themed mukbang experience.”
“For some reason, food, drink and drag just seem to go together,” said Laganja Estranja. “My fellow queens and I applaud Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire for shining a light on the community during these challenging times and using this series to support organizations like GLAAD.”
“This lineup is about inclusivity,” said Patrick Starrr. “We have drag queens and beauty gurus, drinkers and non-drinkers like Gia, a Try Guy and a transgender woman. We’re able to connect over our love of performing and just share good food and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire with viewers.”
To find out more about the organizations Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire is supporting and to catch all the episodes of the digital series, visit JackFirePride.com.