Cue the Confessional: How Hulu Transformed a Beverly Hills Mansion Into a Reality TV Paradise

On April 22, Hulu brought together 100 influencers and press, plus 150 of its reality TV icons and creatives, for Get Real House, a fully immersive event at Casa Lago Beverly Hills.Photo: Line 8 Photography

LOS ANGELES—It's back to reality for Hulu. Or is it? The streaming service's recent activation, Get Real House, certainly seemed like a dream. But there's no denying that the Disney-owned brand is leaning into its reality and unscripted content. On April 22, Hulu brought together 100 influencers and press, plus 150 of its reality TV icons and creatives, for Get Real House, a fully immersive event at Casa Lago Beverly Hills.

Candice Ashton, executive vice president of publicity for Disney Entertainment Television, says that the brand's unscripted slate—including Dancing with the Stars, The Kardashians, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and the Bachelor franchise—has expanded and is reaching broader, younger viewers.

"It felt like the right time to bring all these shows together, which all stream on Hulu, into one epic event where we could cross-pollinate our talent, create content, and ultimately have some fun," she says.

Ashton adds that she and her team—who worked closely with events and production agency Bespoke Boheme on the activation—knew early on that they wanted the event to take place at a luxury mansion, not a hotel or event space.

"We wanted something that could make our guests feel like the location could actually be used in a reality show, similar to the Bachelor mansion or Vanderpump Villa," she explains. "We wanted it to be aspirational."

With that sentiment in mind, Casa Lago Beverly Hills was outfitted with various bespoke activations correlating to a specific unscripted show, allowing attendees to immersive themselves in their favorite series. Vanderpump Villa greeted guests in the entryway with glasses of rosé; Project Runway helped them level up their outfits with a styling station; Dancing with the Stars gave them a wow-worthy photo op with a mirrorball photo booth; and—perhaps the most popular activation of the day—The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives brought soda-fountain chain Swig, a frequent haunt of the cast as seen on the show.

Ashton says one of the buzziest activations of the day was Swig, a Utah-based soda-fountain chain featured frequently on The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Hulu brought in actual Swig employees and brand ambassadors to mix up those famous "dirty sodas."Photo: Line 8 Photography

"Without question, our guests could not stop talking about Swig, our partnership with the Utah-based soda-fountain chain," Ashton says. "They’re known for their 'dirty sodas,' which are part of the #MomTok lore and a staple in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We brought in actual Swig employees and brand ambassadors from Utah, who were mixing up beverages throughout the night."

The main programming of the event was a one-hour presentation hosted on the lawn. The presentation featured moderated Q&As with talent like Alex Cooper, Khloé Kardashian, and Scott Disick; new trailer debuts; and some fun announcements, including Robert Irwin as the first celebrity contestant for the upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. The wildlife conservationist, the son of the late Steve Irwin, even wowed the crowd by sporting a live python around his neck (while shirtless, of course).

"With any big event, especially when executing for the first time, there are always lessons to be learned because you don’t know what you don’t know," Ashton says. "For example, how many people need to sign off on having a live python at an event like this!"

Following the presentation, the event turned into a mixer. Three reality shows were also filming content for their series throughout the grounds, including The Kardashians and The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. 

Translating the scale and personality of Hulu's many unscripted offerings into a cohesive experience was one of the biggest challenges, Ashton says. "With so many iconic personalities and shows, the risk was creating a disjointed space," she adds. "I think the team, led by Nicole Balgemino, did an exceptional job overcoming this with a central theme, Get Real, which was a unifying creative concept in bringing 'reality' to life. Every activation was designed to feel both authentic to the show and connected to the overall narrative, which is that all your favorite reality programming lives on Hulu."

Keep scrolling to read more insights and see photos from inside Hulu's Get Real House...