Meanwhile, CeraVe debuted a new commercial in the days leading up to the SNL50 weekend that featured Bowen Yang and Sarah Sherman as band members suffering from excessive dandruff.
Both the Volkswagen and CeraVe spots aired during the Homecoming Concert livestream.
Outside of branded spots with SNL talent, the partnerships gave viewers new ways to access SNL50 through custom behind-the-scenes content that was developed for every platform. NBCUniversal also worked closely with talent to post across their individual social channels leading up to the big night.
“Current and former SNL members put themselves out there in front of fans through these brands,” Feinberg said. “We want to make sure we’re doing this in a great, really smart, and creative way.”
Staying active
Brands also held activations throughout the weekend to continue to build excitement, including a Maybelline Lounge on the red carpet. Plus, Volkswagen deployed an ID. Buzz on-site dropping off attendees, and T-Mobile sponsored a glam bot to catch all those celebrity poses.
Other activations included T-Mobile hosting an event at its Times Square location, which was decked out in SNL50 branding and included Thompson and Hernandez doing a meet-and-greet with fans. Meanwhile, Capital One hosted two events—one at the Capital One Cafe and at the Time Square location—that featured special drinks, photo opportunities, and appearances from Gasteyer and Shannon.
At Advertising Week last October, Mark Marshall, chairman, global advertising and partnerships, NBCUniversal, noted that brand partners had to “let go of some of their control” in order to fit the tone of the show and acquiesce to the SNL talent.
Feinberg reiterated that point, noting that partners were able to customize sponsorships in a way that worked for them as well as the show.
“Everybody leaned in in a different way that felt great for their brand, but of course, it felt right for the tone and the tenor of the show that we had on that night and across the season,” Feinberg said.
