http://adage.com/madisonandvine/article?article_id=134349
NBC's Lorne Michaels and Co. Create Spots Based on 'MacGruber' Sketches
NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Live from New York, it's ... the latest upstart ad agency?
Madison Avenue is known for a litany of storied acronyms, such as BBDO and DDB. But is advertising's hallowed capital ready for another pair of familiar but eyebrow-raising initials: NBC and SNL? And could a show producer such as Lorne Michaels become the next sought-after creative director?
In a move that some viewers considered shocking, cast and crew from the Peacock Network's venerable "Saturday Night Live" crafted three ads for Pepsi that essentially grafted mentions, cans and logos of the famous soda into three different executions of "MacGruber," a long-running spoof of the old "MacGyver" TV series. The ads looked just like "SNL" skits but ran during commercial breaks on the Jan. 31 edition of the show. One of the ads also appeared during the recent Super Bowl. Pepsi's ad agency, Omnicom Group's TBWA/Chiat/Day, had little if any involvement in the commercials....
It seems the advertising model has changed yet again. This time, fusing the ad sales department and the tv program production department together-creating a "fresh" approach to commercials.
While the ad appears to be just another sketch for Will Forte and his "MacGruber" character, it's actually a commercial for Pepsi.
The economy is the driving force in this model, determining how and why the commercial is created. For Lorne Michaels, head honcho of SNL, it's a step forward to help NBC during these difficult times. First, NBC doesn't have to pay an advertising agency for an ad concept because they're using their own intellectual property. Second, Pepsi pays NBC-specifically SNL-for running the advertisement. This "extra" money from Pepsi will most likely cover costs for new sets, props, lighting, ect. What a huge difference that makes for NBC and Lorne Michaels along the way.
The "MacGruber" Pepsi commercials received coveted positions during the Super Bowl, thus saving NBC millions of dollars and giving "MacGruber" fans a few laughs along the way.
NBC's Ben Silverman, co-chairman of entertainment, sees this as the future of advertising on television. He claims that viewers can expect to see their favorite television characters pushing a brand in the next 30 sec ad spot.
While this new venture is exciting and different, what happens to the ad agency in the process? I don't think the economic hardships will completely destroy the advertising business. But when the creative minds behind television's hottest shows are willing to take the time and develop commercials, who needs the suits at advertising agencies?
-Christina Colosimo
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Perhaps the most intriguing thing about this article is the discussion of the new "fresh" approach to TV commercials. For me personally, I really enjoy the MacGruber skit on SNL. So seeing it mixed into advertising was kind of a neat idea. And the kicker to this whole situation is that it is helping the network by saving them money. One thing that also shouldn't go unnoticed is that the shows (in this case, SNL) are going to benefit as well because it will expose them to some people who have never seen it before. It seems to me like an interesting idea with multiple upsides, and I look forward to seeing more of this!
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