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) has 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 Fallon took a different tack for sponsored content on The Tonight Show Wednesday, inserting a product right into an interview.
The moment came as Fallon interviewed his lead guest, basketball star Stephen Curry. With the athlete promoting his new book Shot Ready, Fallon showed the audience a childhood yearbook photo of Curry included in the book. “I just want to show a picture,” Fallon told him. “I think this little guy would have been proud.”
“What are you doing?” a bashful Curry asked. But the moment was soon revealed to be planned, as Curry reached in his pocket and pulled out a photo of young Fallon on his phone.
“Wait, is that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold?” Fallon asked incredulously. The host displayed the phone for a closeup, revealing a picture of an apron-clad 13-year-old Fallon as the screen’s wallpaper.
“You did the Made by Google event, right?” Curry asked. “I’m a Google Partner. I know how to find it.” (Fallon hosted Google’s keynote event last month, helping launch the Pixel 10 alongside guests like Curry, Alex Cooper, and the Jonas Brothers.)
“How did you get this? When I hosted this Google event, they wouldn’t give me a phone,” Fallon daid while opening the phone to give its key feature—a foldable screen—its own closeup. “This is my jam!”
To cap off Wednesday’s interview, Curry gifted Fallon the phone. As broadcast, the segment didn’t have any of the tell-tale signs of a formal brand integration, such as a Google logo, the inclusion of ad copy, or a traditional beauty shot of the product. However, the YouTube clip indicates the segment was indeed bought and paid for, with the title noting “In Partnership with Google Pixel.”
Fallon, of course, is no stranger to creative brand integration. Later this month, the host will premiere his new brand-centric reality competition series, On Brand with Jimmy Fallon.
