When InStyle first launched its social media mini-series, “The Intern” — a comedic, episodic series spoofing office life at the publication — in February 2025, the team had few expectations.
“You never know if it’s going to resonate,” said editor-in-chief Sally Holmes. But when, within a few days, she “walked into fashion week and all the other editors at other magazines were like, this thing that you guys published is so funny,” she had a feeling they may have a hit on their hands.
In its first year alone, InStyle published seven “seasons,” of the show, each featuring three-minute-long episodes, which have racked up a collective 40 million views. But more than just viewership, the series also proved to be a commercial success; four of the seven seasons landed a brand sponsor, including Fossil and E.l.f.
Now, InStyle is taking its next step with episodic content with a new series titled “The Boss,” this time, with a bit more star power.
Flipping the original narrative, which followed the antics of creators playing InStyle interns alongside real-life employees acting out exaggerated versions of themselves, the latest version stars actress Julia Fox as the team’s new boss, or “ambassador of slayage,” designated to bring a greater sense of style to the office. The goal, and what drove much of the original series’ success, is to portray a wilder version of relatable office moments — this time, focusing on Fox as an over-the-top leader.
“Everyone has the war stories about being the intern or the assistant, where your boss asks you crazy things … it’s so relatable, [whether] you’re 18 or 50,” said Holmes. Its resonance, she added, largely lies in the team’s ability to “play off so many funny things that are just close enough to the truth.”
The series has been instrumental in helping the publication reach a broader and younger audience who “didn’t even know what InStyle is,” said Holmes.
“This is TV for Gen Z,” she added. “This is really how people are consuming their entertainment.”
But it’s also been a way for InStyle to drive revenue at a time of decline for traditional media. The series allows the publication to be more playful with its advertising, too, frequently breaking the fourth wall with viewers to joke that they can’t curse on air because the series is sponsored, or incorporating a sponsor into the content. The most recent season of “The Intern,” for instance, incorporated a spoof on the premise of the Ashton Kutcher-fronted series “The Beauty,” which was the season’s sponsor.
And the world of “The Intern” and “The Boss” isn’t restricted to the seasons themselves, either. For recent red carpet coverage of Spotify’s Best New Artist Party, for example, in addition to its standard celebrity interviews, InStyle had creator Kennedy Eurich, who starred in “The Intern,” produce comedic content on the carpet in her “intern” role.
The first season of “The Boss” doesn’t have a sponsor, but Holmes is hopeful for future iterations. With the premiere occurring in tandem with New York Fashion Week, episodes will incorporate other fashion players, including designers Christian Siriano and Brandon Blackwood, as well as “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Bronwyn Newport and the current cast of “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“We don’t want to react, we want to give [viewers] something that they don’t even know they wanted,” said Holmes.
Why Brands Are Creating Their Own TV Shows
As brands seek new ways of connecting with ad-weary consumers, they are experimenting with series-style content that allows them to lean into humour, tell more elaborate stories and keep customers engaged over time.
