After doing something similar on Leap Day, American Express is once again teaming with NBC to insert more time into the network’s regular programming.
Starting Monday and running all week, Today will include 27 additional total minutes of programming for the week. On both Monday and Friday, three-minute show segments will replace standard advertising pods in the “trending” section in the 8 a.m. hour as well as in the opening host chats in both the 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. hours.
On Tuesday and Thursday, only the third-hour chats featuring Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, will be extended. Three minutes also will be added to the Wednesday 9 a.m. opening segment, which not so long ago featured Billy Bush.
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NBC did this once before with American Express, adding time for more programming on Feb. 29, 2016, throughout the entire day. The partnership started with Today in the morning, picked up with Blindspot and The Voice in primetime and culminated with Late Night with Seth Meyers, adding branded content pieces to each program.
American Express returned to NBC when it wanted to again promote its Blue Cash Everyday Card headed into the holiday season. What Leap Day taught the company was that viewers were particularly responsive to the promotion as part of Today.
“You pair that with the amazing talent at NBC who were so authentically able to integrate us into that program, and it truly did deliver on what consumers wanted more of,” Jill Hamilton, vice president, U.S. media and sponsorships, American Express, told Adweek.
This time around, the on-air content won’t be specifically branded, but an American Express bug will air on the screen and anchors will call out American Express for providing the extra time.
Much of the activation will take place online, where all today.com video during the week will air reduced pre-roll, also sponsored by American Express. Branded content specifically produced for the week will air both on today.com and on the show’s related digital and social platforms.
[Image courtesy of NBC News via Variety]
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