Here’s How NBCUniversal Is Integrating Brand Sponsors for SNL50

Saturday Night Live is in its 50th season, and the long-standing series has made it a ripe opportunity for brands.

The company has already announced that Allstate, T-Mobile, Volkswagen of America, L’Oreal Groupe’s Maybelline NY and CeraVe, and Capital One would be sponsors for the 50th season of SNL. And on Tuesday during a panel at Advertising Week, the brands joined Mark Marshall, chairman, global advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal, to tease what’s in store.

For example, Allstate is creating custom content with SNL’s Please Don’t Destroy, who are behind SNL Digital Shorts. According to Dave Marsey, svp, media and growth marketing, Allstate, the SNL stars and their “entertaining chaos” fit in well with the company’s Mayhem character, played by actor Dean Winters.

“For us, not only being fans of Please Don’t Destroy, it created an environment that was somewhat established, so we wouldn’t be starting from scratch,” Marsey said. “That’s what helped us in this big leap we are taking as a brand by being a part of SNL50.”

Meanwhile, Jessie Feinstein, svp of marketing, Maybelline, spoke about how L’Oreal is a company of passion, which is why it chose Maybelline and CeraVe as the partner brands for SNL.

“We say at L’Oreal that we like to move at the speed of culture. So, how do we move at the speed of culture? By tying into a property that just defines culture,” Feinstein said. “And we’re willing to be the butt of the joke.”

The executive explained Maybelline teamed with former SNL star Vanessa Bayer for its instant age rewind concealer, showing Bayer as a character who parties all night and uses the product to erase any mistakes of the night before. The brand also has a spot coming out featuring their SuperStay Matte Ink.

As for T-Mobile, this is the second year the mobile phone company is partnering with SNL. Kari Marshall, vp, media, T-Mobile, said both brands have a common value of being agile and adapting to last-minute changes.

“We are hosting a lot of behind-the-scenes content for SNL, and the power that it has across generations was important for us to get to the scale of where we want to be,” Kari Marshall said.

Meanwhile, for Volkswagen, a brand that has been around for 75 years in the United States, Jennifer Clayton, brand growth marketing director, Volkswagen of America, said the company wanted to celebrate that milestone in a special way.

This year will mark the brand’s reimagined VW Microbus, which has shown up in a few sketches over the years on SNL.

“What has been true to the show over the decades is the continuous refinement of storytelling,” Clayton said. “And I think that’s a perfect match for Volkswagen because that’s key to our advertising.”

Live from New York, it’s beneficial partnerships

SNL50 is already off to a hot start, earning 5.3 million viewers for its premiere, according to Nielsen’s Live+Same Day ratings. However, Mark Marshall also noted that the franchise is fortunate to have this year’s crop of brands as partners and strike the right tone for the content.

“They have let go of some of their control because that is when the show is at its best,” Marshall said. “It’s when you allow them to do what they do best, and these brands have been unbelievable working with us.”