‘Summer House’ star Lindsay Hubbard is all about the real thing.
The OG cast member of the hit show “Bravo” said he doesn’t see any other path.
“I’m a very authentic person. I don’t know how to be anyone else,” Hubbard said Monday at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France.
“So you guys watched me grow up on TV for 10 years until I was in my 30s, and that’s when I started learning how to be an adult.”
Hubbard, who participated in a 3CV panel entitled “More than a Moment: Inside the Franchise Ecosystems Defining Culture,” moderated by Page Six executive entertainment editor Melanie Bromley, added that her background in public relations gave her a unique perspective on how to connect with audiences.
“I was a spokesperson for the brand… working on the back end of brand PR and then working on the front end of the camera with the brand, which is a really special way to really connect with fans,” she added.
Mr. Hubbard was also joined by Karen Kovacs, president of advertising and partnerships at NBCUniversal, Frances Berwick, chairman of Bravo and Peacock Unscripted, and Michelle Mesenberg, chief brand officer at Target.
Mr. Berwick revealed how the network created hugely popular shows like “Summer House.”
“Really, we’re not approaching this as trying to create a cultural phenomenon. We’ve never thought of it as trying to create a franchise,” Barwick said. “We just go into the show thinking, ‘Is this a great show? Will it resonate? Will it resonate? Is it authentic? Do our fans really want to know about them?’
The executive said Bravo and Peacock viewers are “much more engaged” than the average viewer and tend to view the show’s cast members as “friends” or “family.”
Kovacs, who sponsors Bravo’s shopping digital series “Shop What Happens,” added that “Summer House” in particular is “so relatable” that Target can’t help but become part of the cultural moment.
“People feel like they’re a part of the show. They want to be a part of it. We dream of a summer in the Hamptons, so we look at it in relation to our viewers and our guests. We call our shoppers our guests,” she said, before turning to Target’s shoppable digital series featuring Bravolublicity, which recommends hand-picked products.
“We understand what connects for them. Bravo across the board…The content is incredible, the talent is incredible, and the opportunities you’ve created for us are not only unique, but also very natural.”
