Empire, which is airing its second season on FOX, is joining forces with Pepsi for its mid-season finale. The series will air a commercial for Pepsi that will be a part of the storyline for the series. The commercial will feature one of the stars of the series and feature one of the songs from the drama.
This venture between Pepsi and Empire may be only the first of such deals between the television and advertising worlds.
Toby Byrne, president of ad sales for Fox Networks Group, spoke about the partnership between FOX and brands like Pepsi. According to Variety, he said:
“We are looking to partner with clients to innovate how we deliver their messaging. That includes brand integrations, like Pepsi and “Empire,’ as well as developing new formats.”
The Variety report gave more background to the partnership between Pepsi and Empire. It is a pairing that has been in the works for some time.
“Both sides stress the marriage of Pepsi and “Empire” is not a shotgun one. The producers had been working on a story arc in which Jamal Lyon seeks a commercial endorsement, said Byrne, and “it felt more organic to the storyline if you had a real brand. Pepsi was a natural fit. “Discussions began in the early part of 2015, he said. Indeed, Pepsi is the exclusive beverage sponsor of “Empire” this season and is part of an effort that has the show run with fewer ads than is the norm for an hour-long drama.”
Are you a fan of this type of partnership between Pepsi and Empire? The Empire mid-season finale will air on FOX on December 2. Tell us what you think.
As long as they keep it relevant to the story. I remember seeing an episode of Bones (years ago) when they suddenly talked about the features of the car they were driving, and it made no sense to the rest of what was going on. This at least is the kind of thing that does happen in the music business. Just hope they keep it more about the story.
I think this is a smart idea. This was done back in the 50’s and people use to enjoy them. I would like it even better if it would make commercial breaks shorter. I don’t see it as being any different than product placement other than it could be more entertaining.