If you've been on Instagram recently, there's a good chance you've been seeing The Big Silly Trivia Game EVERYWHERE. If HQ Trivia had a glow-up covered in pink and ‘90s nostalgia, you’d get The Big Silly Trivia Game. It's a community (and women) first platform that offers prizes you actually want, many of which are curated by The Millennial Decorator. Think: vintage Celine sunglasses (are you kidding), your favorite MAKE Beauty lip serum (please!), and an embroidered makeup bag (need). This list goes on.
The Big Silly Trivia Game team is small but mighty, and the powerhouse couple behind it all is Emmett and Natalie Shine. They need no introduction. Emmett and Natalie are incredible, warm, talented individuals, and have joined forces to create one of the most viral sensations of the moment. If you haven't already, you'll definitely be playing a game with your girlfriends in the near future:
Today, we decided to take a backseat, letting the duo to interview each other about Big Silly Trivia! After delving into their origin story, Natalie discussed her experience hosting the game and referenced all the iconic personalities she channels. They also spilled the tea on dream partnerships and their hopes and dreams for the future. You really don't want to miss this. Let's get into it:
Emmett Shine: Hello Natalie! Let’s kick this off. The first couple questions are about how The Big Silly Trivia Game came to be. I can probably answer that one.
Natalie Shine: Yeah, why don’t you start it off with that!
Emmett: I can start off by saying I'm a serial entrepreneur and love to try to build brands and businesses and services at the intersection of culture and commerce. I was initially working on an opportunity in the web3 space where we were testing out different products and tools to put creativity on chain, and we figured that it's better to actually make an engaging experience versus focusing on the technology first. And so we started tinkering with games for mobile and saw that there's a big opportunity in what's called casual games, which are played by more women than men, but are really underserved for under 35-year old women.
We reached out to a few friends that happened to be friends with Natalie. We started doing some research, we got put in contact with some of the founding team members from HQ Trivia, and we came up with a few different ideas. And one of our friends reached out to Natalie for one of the ideas we were ideating. She came on board and it really took off. And that is the origin of how we got this trivia game online.
Natalie: And Emmett, would you say that the goals from the start look similar to the goals now? What were the goals originally, and how has that evolved?
Emmett: At the beginning of the genesis of this business, the goals were trying to find a way to rethink collaboration and creativity online. I would say they've evolved to exploring a new way in which creativity is married with culture and community online. And I think for those that came of age during COVID and the pandemic, there was a period where you would connect in a safe way with friends, family, schoolmates, workers. That was at times, kind of nice. And there's a little bit of a nostalgic-ness to reconnect, similar to what HQ trivia did in an appointment capacity. So with that in our back pocket, we set out to see if we could create something new in 2024.
Natalie: I'll go ahead and answer the next question which is about why it’s a good time for a game like this. Emmett touched a bit on the COVID-ness of it all. But I think for women especially, I know I have always looked for and craved a safe third space and, you know, a community online. I think a lot of guys have fantasy football leagues and online gaming groups, and I think that it's such an awesome way to enrich your life socially and build these niche communities. But there isn't anything out there that tailors specifically to young women and rewards them in ways that is really what they're looking for. So I think that we're always in search for community, and the community of the game is so overwhelmingly positive. It's exclusively positive, actually. It's just so electric and kind and caring and supportive, and it's almost addictive in that way. And so I think that people really have been looking for a female focused online community.
Emmett: Love it, Natalie. Well said!
Natalie: Mhm.
Emmett: Now, let's talk a little bit about branding. First up, the unique look and feel of the Big Silly Trivia Game. Why the vintage nostalgic look and feel?
Natalie: When Big Silly first came to be, my wonderful friend Jamie Huckins helped develop the original brand identity alongside with Alexis Bone, who is an integral part of the trivia team. And she coined the phrase Lana del Rey meets Merv Griffin, which I think is a really kitschy, fun way to capture the feeling of Big Silly Trivia Game. I'd say we have gone more in the direction now of Carrie Bradshaw meets Merv Griffin, but nonetheless, it's combining that all American nostalgic feel of a game show.
I think everyone has grown up with grandparents, parents, memories of a classic, bright, performative game show on television, and we’re infusing that with kind of this essence of girlhood and prizes that are so positive and current pop culture references. We like to tie it up in a big pink bow, which also we love the pink bow as the emojis, and then kind of dousing that in the magic of the nineties and Y2K and all of that wrapped together is really what carries the show.
Emmett: Awesome. So, hosting a game like this is a skill. Does it come naturally to you, Natalie?
Natalie: You know, I think it sure does! I definitely have some veins of theater kid in me, they've always been there. I've always loved performing. I grew up dancing ballet. I loved being on stage and telling stories. And this time I get to do about it with actual words and with funny anecdotes and interacting with people in real time. So I enjoy it so much week after week, I can kind of find my groove of who I am as a host, and that's been a really exciting journey to embark on.
I definitely channel people like RuPaul, Sasha Colby, my favorite queen. Andy Cohen. I love watch what happens live. I think a dream of mine is to be a guest bartender on watch what happens live. I'll just put it out there. (Andy's people, if you're reading this, my email is in my bio.) The reason I channel those figures is they combine humor with levity and kindness and they empower people and they put on a damn good show.
Emmett: They would be proud to inspire your hosting. Awesome. So, let's move to the next section: prizes. Was partnering with consumer brands always the idea for prizes?
Natalie: I'll let you take that one Emmett, you're mister CPG.
Emmett: Yeah, at the beginning, when we were talking with Lexi and then Jamie and a few other folks like Jessica Butler and Hayes who came on board, we made it important to always ask each other, their group of friends and the concentric circles out of it, what would they want? What would they want to win? And we heard back that people were really into health, beauty, CPG. And we were fortunate enough to know a bunch of good founders like Melanie from Ghia, Rebecca from Soft Services, Ty from Joggy, and Diana from Crown Affair.
Natalie: And I think in the future, incorporating things like experiential or monetary prizes is definitely something that we're excited and open to. We just try to listen to the community week over week. So if they say, hey, we want to start taking Carnival Cruises, like, we'll find a way to partner with Carnival Cruises. We let them steer the ship. (Didn't mean to double pun there!) I think that the world's our oyster with what prizes and what ways that we can reward this community and, you know, in the future.
I can see us having a televised show. I can see us going on a world tour. I mean, what's really cool is that there's so much unknown with this. But what we do know is that every single week, the community grows and they tell us how excited they are to be involved in this. And if that's happening, then, you know, miracles await us. Dream brands to partner with include Delta Airlines, American Express. I mean, like I said, we want to take these girls global.
Dream guests to play Big Silly Trivia Game has to be Benito Skinner and Mary Beth Barone of Ride the podcast. They are a huge inspiration for the team at Big Silly trivia game. They do such a great job of just making thousands and thousands of people laugh and feel good, and that's always something that we try to do.
Emmett: Well said, Natalie. So I think that kind of wraps it up. Any last words for our listeners?
Natalie: I think that it's been such a treat and in only about 45 days we went from a few people playing the game, which in hindsight, you know, lucky for them, they got to pretty much rob us of a Bottega Veneta wallet. That's awesome for them. But now we have over a thousand girls have played the past few weeks and the growth has been so inspiring, so exciting that just trying to keep our heads down and keep our arms wide open and embrace what's happening. It can't be done without this community.
So excited to have also our first in person event at the end of May in New York City. We have a super vibrant New York City community of players. We're going to bring everyone together at Salon 21 and sort of celebrate this first run, this first season of trivia. And I'm just so excited to meet everyone in person and I just know it's going to be the best get together ever.
Emmett: Well said, Natalie. We're signing off on that high note. Thanks, everyone.
Natalie: Thanks for tuning in!
Want to submit a pitch? Email (or DM) us: peoplebrandsandthings@gmail.com.
Love The Big Silly Trivia Game <3!!!!