Welcome to LateNighter’s Spon-Con Watch. In-show advertising is as old as late night itself, but as shows face declining ratings and shrinking budgets, sponsored content (or “brand activations,” as they’re called in marketing circles) have become increasingly common and, at times, more elaborate than ever before. In this recurring feature we keep tabs on how late-night shows are working to wed commerce with comedy.
Jimmy Kimmel skirted arrest after being turned in by his own security guard—all in the name of Venmo in Jimmy Kimmel Live‘s latest product integration.
The two-minute sketch, which aired in the show’s second-to-last act last night, sees Guillermo Rodriguez play a cashier at a comically nondescript “Banana Store” when Kimmel walks in seeking two little bananas, only to learn that inflation has skyrocketed their price to $62. Having already taken a bite of a banana, Kimmel reveals that he’s only carrying $10 cash.
In the advertisement’s reality, it seems Rodriguez isn’t a security guard himself, because he calls in another security to report that his customer “stole two bananas.” (Sure, Kimmel’s second banana is still resting safely on Banana Store’s counter, but JKL spon-con often requires a suspension of disbelief.)
“You called security on me because I ate a little bit of a banana?” Kimmel asks. “But I have Venmo!”
“That’s just for friends,” says Rodriguez. “We’re not friends.”
Kimmel corrects Rodriguez, noting that “Venmo isn’t just for paying people anymore. Now you can spend your Venmo balance on virtually everything.”
A close-up highlights Kimmel making a contactless payment with a Venmo debit card on his smartphone, clearing up the confusion.
A security guard dressed in a banana costume rushes in, prepared to apprehend Kimmel until Rodrigurez stops him.
“It’s okay, security banana. He paid for it. He used Venmo,” he says. “He’s lucky… this time.”
A full-screen graphic then touts the Venmo debit card as its current cash-back promotions are announced by Lou Wilson.
