When we started developing Reel Talk in 2022, most entertainment still followed the same logic: produce the long-form piece first, then cut it down for social.
Social was the distribution layer.
We wanted to flip that.
What if social wasn’t where you promoted the show — but where the show actually happened?
Hack the feed and change behavior.
Instead of creating one long episode and adapting it afterwards, Reel Talk was built around the individual social moments from the start. Conversations, games, challenges and performances were developed as standalone Reels that could work on their own, but together still formed a complete episode.
So, instead of producing a 20- or 30-minute show and looking for the best clips afterwards, we worked backwards from the feed.
One format, rebuilt around every guest
Hosted by Bonnie Strange, Reel Talk burrowed from the great Late Night Talkshows and combined conversations, games and music into a recurring Instagram-first format. The structure stayed recognisable, but the content changed with every artist.
Before each production, we researched the guest, their work, interests, references and personality, then developed the questions, games and mechanics around them. The goal was never to squeeze different people into the same template, but to create a format flexible enough to feel different every time.
That also applied to the community. Teasers, questions, raffles, polls and Stories weren’t added afterwards as engagement mechanics. They were planned as part of the episode itself.
Across four episodes, Reel Talk generated more than 726K organic views from a brand account with fewer than 6K followers at the time. Across the lifespan of the first season, the format also helped attract 8K+ new followers.
After the first season, Reel Talk no longer had to be tied to one studio.
For the Eunique special, we moved into locations connected to her actual life and work. The setting changed, but the basic mechanics of the format still held together.
That became an important shift: instead of always bringing the artist into the world of Reel Talk, Reel Talk could move into the world of the artist.
Then we started pushing the format further
We also developed the format further into interconnected content capsules.
A hero Reel could introduce the guest. A Story could tease it. A carousel could expand the conversation. Another Reel could turn a challenge into its own piece of entertainment. Each asset had to work independently in the feed while still rewarding people who followed the whole episode.
By that point, Reel Talk had become bigger than one set, one presenter or one season.
What started as an Instagram-native talk and game show grew into multiple seasons, specials, location-based episodes, artist collaborations, live appearances and release partnerships.
Our talk show became a brand success story itself.
Press resonance
The format itself became news.
7+ major editorial titles covered or interviewed talent around Reel Talk. Publications like the Grazia, W&V, Businesspunk, GQ, Cosmopolitan picked up on the Instagram-native talk-show concept itself — giving the project earned relevance outside its own channel.
Cultural resonance
Reel Talk grew beyond its original studio format.
The digital format became a live stage format at OMR Festival, extended into album-release partnerships, artist performances at Bunte New Faces Award, location-based specials and seasonal activations.
Brand resonance
The format became a platform of its own.
Reel Talk evolved into limited-edition launches, major raffles, specials and recurring activations — extending the format far beyond the original show and increasing the brand’s visibility across its audience. 10+ episodes. 3 specials. Multiple featured acts. Multiple seasons.
Project summary
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Scholz & Friends Commerce x glo Germany
2022–2023 -
Senior Art Director
Concept Development
Format Development
Art Direction
Creative Development
Production Supervision
Press Material
Research & Writing -
Talent
Bonnie Strange (Host)
ELIF
Drunken Masters
Emilio Sakraya
Gizem / Meg10
Creative Team
Daria Rustambekova (CD)
Rike Sieler (CD)
Julius Schulz (Sr.AD)
Daniel Aguilar (AD)
Rico Zens (AD)
Damla Karaca (Copy)
Maricel Metzger (Account)
Production
Red Pinata (Ep.1-4)
Instant Waves (Special)
Markus Wentlandt (Director Special)