‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 13, Episode 11 recap: Brand strategy

Though there were some earlier examples of challenges like it—a PSA task here, a book design challenge there—RuPaul’s Drag Race commercial challenge was really born in Season 5. In that season, the queens were tasked with coming up with their own brand of perfume (they even had to sample scents to find one they liked), and filming a commercial to market it. Alaska won, coming up with a very clever “Red for Filth” brand and campaign that included her instantly iconic line, “Your makeup is terrible.”

Years later, on All Stars 2, Alaska would win the same challenge—though, by then, it was also called the “branding challenge.” She marketed duct tape, branding the hell out of it with Alaska iconography. She became an expert of marketing while off the show; just look at how “Your Makeup Is Terrible” became one of her songs. It was no wonder she excelled: Alaska’s understanding of her own brand was nothing short of masterful.

Flash forward to Season 13, and the “commercial challenge” has all but officially become the “branding challenge,” as it’s referred to several times by production and queens alike. All the queens are given the same product (soda pop, very clearly inspired by the bottled water branding challenge in RuPaul’s Drag Race UK Season 1), and are expected to mold their own brands to it. 

This separates this season’s task from last year’s, since the queens were able to come up with their own products in that challenge. But like that task, the queens selling themselves is as important as selling the product—and that brand identity is a major part of the judging.

I should say outright: I really enjoyed this episode, and think it continues Season 13’s hot streak that started with the Rusical. This continues to be a very fun, competitive crop of queens, and the edit seems to be a lot more focused on the pleasures of the season rather than the petty dramas. But it’s worth noting that, like much of this season, the focus on branding makes this challenge feel very professional—and I don’t necessarily mean that in a good way.

I’m thinking about this a lot because of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, which just wrapped its second season in spectacular fashion. No spoilers for those who haven’t watched, but that season’s queens often felt rougher around the edges than this crop. That said, they were one of the most charismatic, charming casts Drag Race has ever seen. Most impressive was how much space the queens were afforded to grow: Bimini Bon Boulash, for example, lip-synced the first week, then absolutely slayed the later portions of the competition.

American Drag Race’s standards have risen to a point where polished perfection is practically expected when you walk through the door; queens are rewarded for having such a clear brand identity from the jump. While such polished drag can be entertaining to watch, that focus prevents queens who are a bit less put together at the start of the show from finding their path forward and surprising us all. Every once in a while, you find a Crystal Methyd, who can endure early critiques and bounce back. But she’s the exception, not the rule.

So while I get why a branding challenge makes sense for Drag Race these days—hell, like I said, even UK Season 1 had one—it’s also emblematic of how Drag Race’s focus on polish and professionalism have fundamentally changed the flagship series. Ongina won her version of this challenge way back in Season 1 by filming a HIV awareness campaign for MAC Viva Glam. It wasn’t perfect, but it was emotional, beautiful and heartfelt. There doesn’t seem to be the same room for an ad like that in Season 13.

To dwell on the past makes it seem like there still can’t be greatness in the present—there indeed is greatness! And I’m not just talking about Jaida Essence Hall. The Season 12 winner appears via video chat in the workroom this week to talk to the queens about her own experience in the branding challenge. I love her advice, “The challenges I was best at were the challenges I had the most fun in,” because it continues to push the queens to embrace the joy in this season. As I said, Season 13 has been at its best when the queens have really leaned into the lighter vibes.”

“The challenges I was best at were the challenges I had the most fun in,”
—Jaida Essence Hall

Perhaps the best at doing that particular assignment is Rosé, marketing “RoseAid.” It’s a hangover cure that’s flavoured like wine (where can I order?), and, in her ad, it’s clear Rosé is playing off the critiques she’s been getting. She mocks her tulle-heavy outfits, laughs about her perfectionism and makes herself look both beautiful and like a mess in various shots. The whole thing really works, as does her devilish runway for the Beast category this week. Rosé earns her second win of the competition, putting her in the same ranks as Gottmik and Olivia Lux.

But Rosé is not the only winner this week! Yes, so impressed by the top scorers is Ru that he gives a win to Symone as well. This is very much deserved. Symone’s drink is all sugar in its various forms, and is sure to cause you a veritable raft of health problems. (“No, really. I had two cardiac arrests on the way over here,” she deadpans in her ad.) Combined with a “foxy” beast runway in which she literally becomes a fox (it’s a furry fantasy, and I mean that in a couple of ways), Symone knocks it out of the park this week to score her fourth win of the competition.

Meanwhile, things do not look great for the other two-win queens this season. Olivia and Gottmik suffer from issues both in concept and execution. Olivia’s “LIV(E)” drink is too bland, and her commercial relies on a big reveal of her smile that doesn’t come across in the final product. Gottmik, bless her, avoids just going for an easy gag about her white makeup and instead comes up with a very strange drink that deludes you into thinking your unsexy actions in life are actually very sexy. (This is roughly the plot of the Amy Schumer movie I Feel Pretty.)

Neither lands in the bottom two, however, thanks to Tina Burner and Utica. The former goes heavy on her usual branding—fire, ’50s housewife—and is rebuffed by the judges for not doing something different. This feels contradictory for a branding challenge, but I get the sense the judges just aren’t feeling Tina’s brand at this point. More off the mark is Utica, who is weird to the point of incoherence in her ad. She suckles a cow’s udder at some point—and that’s basically all you need to know to imagine how off the mark it is for a challenge about your personal brand.

But on some level, I appreciate Utica for really going there! I like that it’s so bizarre and uncomfortable, even if it’s ultimately not a well put together ad. Utica, more than anyone else this season, is still rough around the edges, which makes her standout moments feel all the more impressive. It’s no wonder that Symone, a queen who is as polished as they come, and Utica, a queen with lots of ideas she’s still finding ways to channel, made for the most compelling pair in the makeover challenge last week. They brought out the best in each other.

Ultimately, Symone seems to have taken more from that interaction than Utica. Utica’s commercial and concept lack the structure she needs to make all of her outlandish ideas make sense. At least her failure is one of ambition; Tina’s is one of not giving the judges what they want. And that’s a very hard obstacle to overcome, particularly this late in the competition.

However, Utica has been in the low- and bottom-scoring spots far more than Tina, so when the two land in the lip sync, it seems like the former is probably on her way out. But then something magical to the point of absurdity happens: “My Humps” starts playing. Of all songs for these two queens to lip sync to, the Black Eyed Peas’ 2005 bop is not what I expected in a million years. But I gotta give it to her: Utica’s interpretation is weird, wild and a ton of fun in all the right ways. She wins the lip sync, and sends Tina sashaying away.

Again, just to stress it: This is a really fun episode, and I’m very much enjoying Season 13 more in the back half than the front. I don’t mean for the concerns raised about the polish and professionalism of this season to be read as complaining—it’s still great to watch. But I will say, though she’s not consistently been one of my favourites, I’m glad we’ve had Utica for this long. She’s weird enough to keep you guessing, and every once in a while, she blows you out of the water. Among queens who know exactly what their brand is, it’s a welcome sight to see someone still figuring it out.

Untucking our final thoughts

✨Let me tell you all something: If WOW Presents Plus threw up 30 episodes of “Are You Smarter Than the Pit Crew?” as an original series, I would watch all 30 tomorrow. A Drag Race trivia contest? Are you kidding me? Obsessed. One of my favourite mini-challenges in years. So many fun shout-outs to Drag Race seasons past (the Interior Illusions lounge!), and an absolutely dominant performance by Drag Race fan Kandy. Her answer to the question about Season 1 not having Untucked (no official Untucked, but there were Under the Hood clips released online) brings me such joy. Seriously, this is a blast, and there’s so much more room to go with it.

✨When Kandy correctly answers that the production crew were given makeovers in Season 9’s makeover episode, Ru shouts-out “Sarge”—a.k.a. Peppermint’s iconic partner Wintergreen—working a camera while wearing pumps. Forever an icon.

✨Kandy’s incorrect guess as to what the challenge is based on the RuMail—“We’re gonna have to go out in the real world and get a job”—actually sounds like an amazing challenge idea? Not for COVID times, though.

✨Gottmik making her own life hell by using too many organizational systems in her storyboarding is deeply, deeply relatable.

✨Notably no rotating guest judge this week! Just Ross and Carson in the main seats, which gives the panel the unusual makeup of two judges having been on set for the commercial and having more insight—and neither of those judges being Ru or Michelle. As a result, Ross and Carson get more critique time this week—and your mileage may vary on whether that’s a good thing. I’ve enjoyed both Ross and Carson at different points during their Drag Race judging tenures, but I missed the new energy of someone like Nicole Byer or Ts Madison in this episode.

✨Still thinking about Rosé wearing a Jan “face crack” robe during her commercial.

TGIF, queens! Join us every Friday at 4 p.m. EDT for our livestreaming Kiki with Kevin to talk all things Drag Race.

The next episode of RuPaul’s Drag Race airs Friday, Mar. 26, at 8 p.m. EDT on VH1 in the U.S. and on Crave and OUTtv in Canada.