Some of the commercials tied to the second season of Netflix’s “Quarterback” documentary series are going to look an awful lot like the show.
Bud Light plans to run a parody of the series, which gives fans up-close looks at the seasons of top NFL quarterbacks, via social media. The short form “Armchair Quarterback” sketches feature Peyton Manning and show a fan who aims to be great by using some of the skills taken from pros featured in the documentary program.
“It mimics some of the scenes that you’ll see in the show, whether it’s Joe Burrow playing the piano to work on his dexterity or, you know, Kirk Cousins, he takes these meticulous voice memos to make sure he doesn’t miss a play, and then you’ve got Jared Goff, who hires a personal trainer to get in shape,” says Todd Allen, senior vice president of marketing for Bud Light, during a recent interview.
The alliance between the streamer and the beer, part of the broad Anheuser Busch InBev portfolio, shows continuing efforts by Netflix to woo brands to its programs — particularly now that it is promoting an ad-supported tier. In the past, Netflix has worked with big marketers including Procter & Gamble and Coca-Cola to devise promotional alliances that help call attention to many of its original series, including “Stranger Things.”
Bud Light will also be woven into the series itself, and a “pause ad” that surfaces when viewers stop the “Quarterback” action will feature a QR code that will take those who scan it right to the comedy short. Bud Light will also run commercials on Netflix featuring its comedy content,” says Allen. “We’re going to continue to amplify the show as well on our social to drive that reach with our fans and audience as well.”
Behind-the-scenes sports documentary series have become popular in recent years, with Netflix and Amazon’s Prime Video both offering programs tied to sports like football, racing and golf. The series help the streamers develop closer relationships with various leagues as sports become a hotter property among broadband video outlets. The games draw large, simultaneous viewership that advertisers crave and thwart the tendency of many streaming subscribers to watch programs at moments of their own choosing.
The goal, says Allen, is to spur pass-along of the Bud Light vignette and get the word out about the video and its sponsor. “Ultimately, we want to be able to see our content travel, to see it being shared on social networks,” he says.