For PR Daily, I had the privilege of connecting with Leah Wyar, president of entertainment and beauty & style group at People Inc., on what the rebrand signals for marketers, how the first-ever People x InStyle flip issue came together, and why episodic social content such as “The Intern” has become a core growth engine.
You can read the full interview here: From Dotdash Meredith to People Inc.: What the rebrand means for brands, editors, and audiences
Additionally, I was able connect with Jonathan Borge, InStyle deputy editor who has been the creative lead and show runner for InStyle’s social first content, including the The Intern, a mockumentary series optimized for TikTok.
Brands including Fossil watches and the new television series The Beauty on FX have benefitted from authentic integrations into InStyle’s social-first series. PR and marketing leads should take note on this innovative style of brands storytelling. The product integrations are fun, natural and allow the brand’s mission to shine through. For example, in the series, Nick Jonas discussed how his wife Priyanka Chopra loves the Fossil watch ring he designed and it had me shopping.
The Q&A with Jonathan is below, with links to the web series included at the end:
What’s the origin story of InStyle’s “The Intern” series? How is this social-first content engaging new audiences and syndicating across broader channels?
At InStyle, we’re always looking to innovate and we had been exploring the idea of a social-first video series for some time. We wanted to engage new audiences and prioritize social as a key storytelling platform, not just a distribution channel.While InStyle has a 30-year legacy, we’re acutely aware of how rapidly media consumption has shifted to short, snackable formats. That’s a key reason why we wanted to invest in The Intern.
We ultimately decided that the concept of interns is so universally funny and knew we needed the right talent to pull it off. Grant and Ash were the perfect team to kick off with because they have such an engaged following and a comedic style that aligned perfectly with our vision. From day one, it was a collaborative process between our editorial, social, and video teams, plus of course, the creators themselves.
From there, we expanded The Intern universe with new voices and new talents, including Micky Gordon, Davis Burleson, Kennedy Eurich, and more. Bringing additional creators into the fold allowed us to reach new pockets of the internet and tap into the distinct audiences each one brings. It’s been fascinating to watch viewership grow not only on InStyle’s channels but also across creators’ platforms, creating a distributed ecosystem of engagement.
Today’s audiences are craving more than quick-hit, one-off content. The success of The Intern has shown that audiences are investing in narrative arcs, characters, and reasons to come back. Episodic content and social series offer an opportunity for richer, long-form storytelling with twists, turns, and cliffhangers. It’s driving repeat touchpoints and deeper loyalty over time.
Fossil’s Nick Jonas Collection was seamlessly integrated into “The Intern.” What made the Fossil team a great, authentic partner for the series?
Fossil is a heritage brand with a deep connection to fashion and culture. They’ve been reintroducing themselves to a new generation of consumers in innovative ways and The Intern gave us a natural storytelling vehicle to highlight that.
It wasn’t just about placing a product, it was about finding a brand with the right sensibility to be part of the joke, part of the narrative, and part of the fun. They are incredibly creative partners that have a willingness to integrate in ways that aren’t a turn off to people.
Fossil, like InStyle, understands the power of not taking itself too seriously, which makes them the perfect partner to join in on the joke while still showing up as a heritage brand with cultural relevance.
Fossil respected our editorial integrity and at the end of the day, the content feels real and organic, rather than a commercial. Fossil gave us the breathing room to do that and with their Nick Jonas collection, the timing was just right.
For comms and marketing professionals, any tips for engaging InStyle—both for classic editorial storytelling and for branded content?
Think big. The ideas that resonate most are elevated, forward-thinking, and creatively ambitious. We’re not interested in doing things simply because “that’s how they’ve always been done.” We respond to concepts that challenge convention, have a strong point of view, and feel genuinely differentiated.
Equally important is a willingness to collaborate. Our best work is co-created, whether it be editorial or branded. When collaborators come in open to building something together, instead of prescribing every beat, the end product is more impactful, more shareable, and more culturally relevant.
Any pitch you reviewed recently that was an immediate “yes,” and why?
When casting talent for The Intern, Connor Wood was a clear “yes” from the moment his team reached out about working together. Our social team is deeply immersed in creator culture, and we recognized right away that he was a rising star with a distinct comedic voice. He checked all the boxes we look for: originality, audience connection, and a tone that naturally fits into The Intern universe, while also bringing something fresh to the table.
What features perform best on InStyle—Fashion Week, live-event coverage, or celebrity profiles?
Today, we understand our audience better than ever, which allows us to take a more strategic, cross-platform approach to everything we produce, from Fashion Week coverage to our tentpole events like the InStyle Imagemaker Awards, to major celebrity moments.
Fashion Week has evolved dramatically in the TikTok era where real-time, behind-the-scenes access drives huge engagement. The InStyle Imagemaker Awards, meanwhile, represent the best of 360-degree storytelling as our marquee event that becomes instantly shareable across platforms, with celebrity speeches, the iconic InStyle Elevator videos, and new for this year, a curated plotline of The Intern that seamlessly integrated into the event.
One of our strongest performers and biggest growth engines is episodic social content. Series like The Intern build loyalty, spark conversation, and give advertisers a premium, narrative-driven environment. They’re not just moments, they’re ecosystems.
Resources
Links to The Intern can be found via InStyle’s Instagram highlights HERE.
For more information on the InStyle Imagemaker Awards, see HERE.
InStyle’s collaboration with The Beauty FX is HERE
