“It’s got everything I dreamt of in a show,” says The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon of his brainchild, On Brand With Jimmy Fallon, a competition series where 10 contestants work at his made-for-TV On Brand Agency.
Each week, solo or in teams, they create a marketing campaign for big names like Dunkin’ or Southwest Airlines and present it to company execs. Fallon’s cohost is business-world titan Bozoma Saint John, who headed marketing at power players Netflix, Uber, and PepsiCo — and debuted as a breath of fresh air on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ 14th season, where fans loved her smarts and honesty. The hosts told us more, and even sang us a classic TV commercial jingle.
Is this a real-life Mad Men?
Jimmy Fallon: I mean, I’m not as good-looking as Jon Hamm, but Boz makes up for that. It’s a love letter to ad agencies. We stick to the business more in this one. There’s drama. It’s funnier.
Bozoma Saint John: Better looking than Jon Hamm?! Come on, get out of here. Yeah, but it is a real-life Mad Men. Less political warfare, a lot of good, friendly competition.
Do all of the contestants come from a marketing background?
Fallon: One has a boutique ad agency. There’s an influencer, a real estate agent. It’s fascinating to watch everyone get in the ring. Everyone’s got strengths. Some people will get on your nerves, some you’ll have a crush on.
Saint John: They are regular people with regular jobs who have this amazing opportunity to bring things to life in the biggest way possible.
With newbies, do campaigns ever go terribly wrong?
Fallon: My favorite part of American Idol is the bad auditions. We have great ideas for these brands, but also some that don’t work, and they are hilarious. Episode 1, the brand execs are looking at us like, “What’s happening?” I was trying to hold in laughing.
Saint John: I kept elbowing him, like, “Jimmy, you’re the boss. You cannot laugh at the people. You’ve got to keep it together!”
What was the learning curve for you as hosts?
Fallon: Hosting a reality show is a different muscle than hosting a talk show — keeping the pace up, keeping it interesting.
Saint John and Jimmy Fallon in On Brand
David Holloway / NBC
Saint John: Much of this mimics my real-life experiences over my career. Depending on what job I was in, people from all over social media would pitch me ideas. Having had the opportunity to do a lot of these things, to see that come to life for other people is marvelous. Giving advice, feedback, and encouraging them to create was such a gratifying thing.
But only one visionary will be named Innovator of the Year and earn the $100,000 cash prize. How hard was it to start cutting people?
Fallon: We start eliminating people once you get to like them. Once you get to know them, that’s when we kill them off. It was honestly painful.
Saint John: Oh, it was painful. For the first couple, Jimmy, let’s be honest, I had to be the rod. I had to be the steel. Jimmy was out here like, “I love everyone. I love every idea.” We still had to get rid of somebody.
Hey, only top talent creates unforgettable ads! Which TV commercials stick with you?
Fallon: I love “Ba-da-ba-ba-ba. I’m lovin’ it.” I love “I don’t want to grow up. I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid.” And “I want a pop, pop, pop. I want a Shasta!” That was sunshine, youth, fun, summer. I didn’t have a beach growing up. I lived in Upstate New York. I had dirt. So, it was aspirational. And “Where’s the beef?” with Clara Peller.
Saint John: That Jimmy can pull this lady’s name off the top of his head is not a normal thing. He understands, respects, and has passion for the creative and ad worlds. Mine is Arrid Extra Dry. “Get a little closer, don’t be shy [singing] with Arrid Extra Dry.”
Fallon: [Singing] “Get a little closer with Arrid Extra Dry.” Oh, that’s a great one!
You are singing a duet! Why is that 1980s jingle still an earworm after more than 40 years?
Fallon: There is something so cute to that. We all want to get a little closer to each other. Now, you can get even closer because you all smell good.
Saint John: Oh, gosh, it had all of the ideas. You want to get closer to people. It rhymed. That’s the important part.
When do we get to see the finished campaigns on the show?
Fallon: At the end of every episode, two great ideas go head-to-head. The next day or week, you’re going to see [the winner] in real life on billboards or in stores. We did a commercial with a sports celebrity, we wrapped a Southwest plane. We do big swings!
Saint John: On top of that, I want people to tag me with their ideas in their Instagram stories, Threads, and X posts. Ideas are such a beautiful thing. They come from so many different places, and I’m excited to see them from people who aren’t even competing on the show. I am anticipating magic!
On Brand With Jimmy Fallon, Premieres Tuesday, September 30, 10/9c, NBC
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