NBC And Amex To Replace Ads With Content

NBCUniversal today announced what it calls “a first-of-its-kind partnership” with American Express to give NBC viewers more of their favorite NBC shows from morning until night on Leap Day, Monday, Feb. 29.

In the first example for advertisers of the strategic partnership between NBCU and BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed’s creative team will create social content around NBC shows to drive tune-in and further engage fans for the duration of the campaign.

During time that would normally be filled with commercials, American Express and NBCU will create custom show content to add to the broadcasts of Blindspot, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The Voice and Today. The extra content will give viewers more programming, more behind-the-scenes access and more from their favorite shows and stars with American Express branding before and after each content piece. The campaign coincides with the season return of Blindspot and The Voice season 10 premiere. 

“We’re partnering with NBCUniversal in this first-of-its-kind campaign to provide viewers with relevant, exciting content across broadcast, digital and streaming properties to reinforce our message — American Express gives you more,” said Joe Bihlmier, VP of global media at American Express. “This campaign also aligns with our customer-centric approach to add more value for our customers where we know they are.”

“It is exciting to deliver valuable audiences at scale and develop innovative solutions for brands in a way that only NBCUniversal and BuzzFeed can do,” said Alison Tarrant, EVP, client partnerships, NBCUniversal. “This is a great example of how we uniquely work with marketers and agencies, like American Express and Mindshare, to explore new advertising models for maximum impact, keeping in mind the audience experience.”

On Leap Day, American Express will bring viewers nearly 30 minutes of uninterrupted, exclusive, content in primetime, during The Voice and Blindspot creating a content bridge between the programs. The custom content airing in lieu of commercials will be featured along with additional bonus shareable content on BuzzFeed and the shows’ respective digital pages and social media channels.

The multiplatform partnership will continue through March 3 across NBC’s digital platforms, including over-the-top apps. All platforms will feature additional custom content and specific show handles to continue the conversation with fans.