Holy Spon-Con, Batman! Jimmy Fallon Raises a ‘Baby Ford Bronco’ in Elaborate Tonight Show Bit

Jimmy Fallon’s long promotional relationship with Ford reached its logical conclusion last night in a unique piece of sponsored content that saw the Tonight Show host take in one of the car company’s young offspring and raise it as his own.

“I want to take a second to talk about something pretty crazy that happened this week,” Fallon told viewers after the show’s first commercial break Thursday night. “I witnessed kind of a miracle.” The host then tossed to a pre-taped sketch.

In the five-minute bit, Fallon is seen raising a newborn bronco—er, make that a Bronco (as in a Ford Bronco). After teaching the gradually growing vehicle to traverse rough terrain, Fallon gives the Bronco a chance to “roam free” at the Bronco Off-Roadeo. The Off-Roadeo is an off-road experience for Ford Bronco owners available at five locations across the country. After the ad/sketch, Fallon announced a sweepstakes for the chance to win a trip for two to an Off-Roadeo location.

Announcer Steve Higgins, house band The Roots, and Tonight Show head writer A.D. Miles all feature in the sketch (with Miles in particular demonstrating impressive commitment as a marble-mouthed cowboy).

While “Baby Bronco” is one of the more elaborate examples we’ve seen, sponsored content (or “brand activations,” as they’re called in marketing circles) has become increasingly common in late night as shows face declining ratings and shrinking budgets.

Over the last ten years, Jimmy Fallon and The Tonight Show have collaborated with Ford on everything from pre-taped sketches to original songs to in-studio games (including a Mustang giveaway for one lucky audience member). In 2014, Fallon teamed up with the automaker for a contest allowing Ford sales consultants the chance to sell him a new F-150 truck. In 2022, he even visited their factory in Dearborn, Michigan.