On Brand With Jimmy Fallon Premiere Episode Recap: 10k Store Merch Drop

Since marketing is how a business thrives as it tries to attract and establish a place for itself in the deep subconscious of its customer base, creative agencies end up playing a significant role. Therefore, late-night icon Jimmy Fallon decided to launch his own advertising firm called On Brand, with industry legend Bozoma Saint John by his side as the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). NBC’s ‘On Brand With Jimmy Fallon’ thus follows this duo as they challenge 10 creatives to pitch and execute campaigns for some renowned brands in the hopes of ultimately earning $100,000.

On Brand With Jimmy Fallon Kicks Off With Introductions All Around

Having always been passionate about the world of business, promotions, and trade, Jimmy Fallon has obviously noticed how marketing has now become a significant part of pop culture. Any one campaign can connect millions across the globe while also generating millions in profits, if done right. So, he chose to launch not only an ad agency but also a competition unlike any other. He selected a group of 10 diverse individuals from all walks of life who are bursting with creativity as well as a fire to prove themselves to take on high-priority campaigns for high-profile companies.

These individuals include artist Pyper Bleu from Brooklyn, New York, nomadic travel journalist Lauren Karwoski, social media manager Bianca Fernandez from New York, New York, and Honkey Tonk emcee BT Hale from Dallas, Texas. Then there are toy designer Azhelle Wade from Cranston, Rhode Island, fashion designer Mahiri Takai from Dallas, Texas, small business owner Ryan Winn from Nashville, Tennessee, as well as real estate broker Sabrina Burke from Port St. Joe, Florida. Last but definitely not least, there is marketing professor Dr. Rajesh “Raj” Srivastava from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and swim instructor Elijah Bennett from Chicago, Illinois.

Once these creatives are all at the On Brand Agency’s headquarters and have made each other’s acquaintances, Jimmy and Bozoma Saint John arrive to dive deeper into their mission. While the former introduces himself as the CEO and their boss, he asserts that ‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’ cast member CMO is an overqualified icon since she is a former executive at corporations like Uber and Pepsi. Then, he details the competition, revealing they will be creating real commercials or nationwide campaigns for 8 different brands in exchange for recognition and the title of Innovator of the Week. Over a period of 8 assignments in 8 weeks, individuals will also be eliminated, so the last one standing will be the Innovator of the Year and get to walk away with a grand prize of $100,000.

The First Assignment to Come The Creatives’ Way is by Dunkin’

Thus begins the creative competition, but before the contestants are told anything about their first challenge, they are led to an outside location, which turns out to be a local Dunkin’ store. That’s where this multinational brand’s President Scott Murphy and CMO Jill Nelson show up to explain that the company’s breakfast menu is what the creatives have to tackle this week. Scott states that while Dunkin’ is known across not just the United States but also the globe for its coffee and donuts, many consumers are unaware that breakfast is also one of its specialties. So, their task is to create a campaign for the same that aligns with the brand’s ethos, is bold, and features a tagline.

The contestants subsequently gain access to all the necessary information, including what comprises the breakfast meal and its cost, before returning to HQ to prepare their pitch. They get an hour before they have to forward their ideas so that a prototype for their meal boxes/ideas can be created before they have to present it to the brand representatives. It’s immediate because that’s the core of the challenge – the aim is to see how well and diversely they can think on their feet when millions of dollars and a brand’s reputation are on the line.

The first creative selected at random to give their pitch is Mahiri, whose idea for the campaign to be interactive through the box impresses Scott, but the tagline leaves him wanting more. Pyper is next, yet while her tagline and the overall concept of targeting working individuals intrigues the representatives, her meal box with a calendar seems a bit cluttered to them. Sabrina’s Munchbox tagline doesn’t pique their interest either, and they feel as if Elijah’s decision to fill in some words while leaving others didn’t have any real intention.

The Contestants’ Creativity Shines in Their Pitches

Dunkin’s representatives make their expectations really clear while judging the creatives’ pitches, meaning they are really direct in their approach without being rude or impolite. In other words, they judge the pitch in itself rather than its maker’s abilities or viewpoint, leaving them inspired to do better next time rather than leaving them disheartened and worried. This was exactly the case with BT too, whose decision to go out of the box by incorporating aliens and the galaxy to indicate Dunkin’ breakfast is for all didn’t land as he had hoped.

Unfortunately, neither Lauren’s nor Dr. Raj’s pitches subsequently ignite any sense of passion for the representatives, only for things to turn upside down when Ryan takes the stage. He sets the scene by detailing his background and how he recalls going to hockey practice with his parents or grandfather and always seeing a Dunkin’ coffee by their side as he played. He then reveals his grandfather was a blue-collar worker, so he had a pail by his side too, and that’s what he represents in the mealbox with the tagline Dunkin’ for Doers. Every aspect of it, apart from the meal box, piques Scott’s interest, with him stating he loves it but is worried if maybe the blue pail design is a little too specific for their consumer range.

Then comes Azhelle, whose core concept revolves around decision fatigue, with her asserting that parents or working individuals have little to no time on their hands most days. So, her pitch is to explicitly portray that Dunkin’ is a one-stop shop for them. However, her vision sadly gets overshadowed mere moments later as Bianca gives her pitch based on the same idea, but expands on it by adding that any individual makes roughly 35,000 decisions a day. Her tagline is Breakfast Handl’d to indicate no one will have to worry about this aspect of their daily life, which really impresses the representatives. The only feedback they have is that the black meal box with a spy-ish aspect may be a little much for the brand.

The Creatives Put Their Best Foot Forward While Executing The Two Shortlisted Campaigns

Upon considering all aspects of every pitch, Scott and Jill reveal they have shortlisted Ryan’s and Bianca’s campaigns to go into the execution stage before they make a final decision. That’s when Jimmy reveals the next step is for these two creatives to select their teams from their peers/competitors, who will help them finalize their campaign and create a merchandise item. After all, they have to put their ideas to a real test by executing them live at a store in a day to help the representatives see how customers react. This will, in turn, enable them to visualize what actually works for them in the long run.

While Ryan updates his meal box to offer variations while maintaining the essence of a pail, Bianca changes her colors to the iconic Dunkin’ orange and pink, making it simple yet effective. As for their merchandise items, the former plans for a “Power Pail” to attract Doers, whereas the latter doubles down with a bright orange “Dunkin’ Decides,” which is a variation of a Magic 8 Ball. Both their campaigns seem really attractive as they set up on opposite ends of the same store the next day, so how things will pan out is left primarily to the consumers’ reactions.

Ryan’s team takes the initial lead, thanks to the verbal marketing efforts of teammate Mahiri to customers waiting outside, which makes it clear to Bianca that their mascot idea is not working. So, she ditches the plan, has her most sociable people stand on the counter, and goes out herself with the Dunkin’ Decides to show precisely what her campaign stands for. This results in her attracting many consumers in her direction, making the playing field as even as it could be, all the while the representatives, Jimmy, and Bozoma watch via screens in a back room.

One Campaign Outshines the Other, Giving Us the First Innovator of the Week

Once Ryan and Biance give it their all with their target audience, they face the Dunkin’ representatives again to give a final pitch on why their campaign is better than their competitors. The social media manager and Head of Brand Engagement for actress Lili Reinhart’s skincare line, Personal Day, asserts her vision is the only right option because the focus should be on one’s daily life. On the other hand, the owner of his own small marketing agency states that the majority of Dunkin’ consumers are working-class individuals, so Dunkin’ for Doers is the way to go.

Ryan and Bianca then go at one another’s campaigns a little in an attempt to showcase why theirs is better, indicating they truly believe in what they are selling. But alas, since there can only be one winner, the Dunkin’ representatives choose to go with Ryan because his campaign is simply more alluring and profitable in the long run. While they make it clear that the Handl’d campaign and the Dunkin’ Decides are great concepts as a whole since they would remain in the subconscious of people, the Doer campaign simply pulls at the heartstrings.

Therefore, Ryan is named Innovator of the Week, and three months later, he is invited to the Dunkin’ headquarters to see his vision come to light. His original merchandise idea is expanded to include a thermos alongside the pail, and his meal box variations are largely left unchanged. They are just finalized per quality standards. He is then told his campaign will be live across the nation soon, which makes him emotional because this has been his dream for the longest time. He admits he also feels sad that his grandfather is no longer around to see it, but he is suddenly surprised by his proud parents, making his original pitch come full circle in a way he never imagined.