THE LATE-NIGHT EFFECT ON BRAND AWARENESS
While the end of an era has come for many of our favorite late-night series, the consumer desire for late-night comedy is far from dead. This hybrid form of news, satire, and opinion proves again and again to have a powerful impact on trending topics, including brand awareness.
The following case example on HBO late-night host John Oliver shows the impact on brand awareness even when a product is featured in a joke.
The Case Example: Bud Light Lime
Earlier this month, upon the resignation of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, John Oliver responded as he comically made FIFA's affiliated brands relevant. The star of the segment was Budweiser, specifically the Bud Light Lime beer. Oliver followed up on a prior statement to the brand that he would chug the lime light beer on live television as soon as the FIFA scandal was resolved.
The impact was huge for the product. In the first week of June, Bud Light Lime saw its total digital consumption rise sixty times over, with 83% of that said to be directly correlated to Oliver's segment. Even though Oliver publicly and jokingly denounced his opinion of the drink's actual taste, the abrupt climb in searches and mentions reflects a sudden consumer curiosity and interest in the product, which contributes to its market value.
Other Impacted Brands
Two other major FIFA sponsors, McDonald's and Adidas, also reveled in Oliver's mocking response to the news. While the live on-air chugging was the feature of the segment, Oliver also made similar promises to order everything on the McDonald's dollar menu and sport a pair of flashy gold winged Adidas sneakers. Though these two brands didn't share the same exponential climb in all metrics as Bud Light Lime, they did show a high direct correlation with the John Oliver sketch in their subsequent digital activity.
Why It's A Good Platform
-Perceived Honesty
When a comedian host is making a joke or running an opinion-style segment, the content reads as genuine and relatable. The tone is candid and entertaining, and reads as conversational. The content isn't always directly promotional, and it still puts the brand name in viewers' minds without reading too much like a paid ad.
Next Steps To Product Placement Success
Late-night variety shows are just one of many great platforms and opportunities to give your brand a starring role through a brand integration or placement. You can find other examples of product placement success on our blog.
Are you interested in integrating product placement into your entertainment marketing mix, but simply don’t know where to start? There is so much more to product placement than you may think, and it is important to be educated about the key tactics to best fit your brand. Download our Product Placement 101 Infographic today to start learning more!
