Promotional still from NBC’s new “On Brand With Jimmy Fallon.” Pictured: (l-r) Bozoma Saint John, Jimmy Fallon. (Photo by: David Holloway/NBC)
David Holloway/NBC
NBC is giving late-night star Jimmy Fallon a different kind of spotlight this fall.
At a time when the future of traditional late-night TV is in flux and viewer habits continue to change, the host of NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon is branching out with On Brand with Jimmy Fallon, a competition series that will essentially combine marketing, advertising and reality TV. The network earlier this year announced the overall thrust and release timing of the show, but two new items are revealed here for the first time: The show’s first trailer (below), as well as the full cast of contestants who will compete when On Brand premieres Sept. 30 at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
Late-night TV is certainly no longer the cultural force it once was, but Fallon at least continues to be one of NBC’s most bankable stars. Giving him a primetime slot that lets him step away from the familiar desk-and-monologue routine also arguably underscores how much NBC still sees him as central to its brand. And in a sign of how important his new project is to the network, Fallon’s series is getting a splashy rollout with new episodes airing twice a week — Tuesdays after The Voice and Fridays at 8 p.m. ET — in addition to being available to stream the next day on Peacock.
Inside Jimmy Fallon’s new NBC competition series
A brief recap about what’s coming: Fallon is the host, creator, and executive producer of On Brand, which will put him in the position of “running” a marketing agency staffed by 10 creatives all competing to deliver campaigns for brands like Dunkin’, KitchenAid, Marshalls, Pillsbury, Sonic, Southwest and Therabody. Fallon will be joined by Bozoma Saint John — the former Uber, Pepsi and Netflix executive — as the agency’s CMO. Each week, contestants will pitch ideas to Fallon, Saint John and brand reps, with the show’s one eventual winner earning $100,000, plus an Adweek feature, a trip to Cannes Lions and the Innovator of the Year title.
“I love branding, I love marketing, I love the world of advertising, and I think there are a lot of people out there who do as well,” Fallon said in a statement about On Brand. “This show lets the audience and our contestants get a peek behind the curtain of how campaigns for some of the biggest brands come together and what goes into making them. It’s exciting.”
The first episode will see Dunkin’ task the show’s “agency” with developing a campaign around the brand that’s widely known for its coffee and donuts. Later episodes will spotlight Southwest Airlines’ in-flight innovations, a Sonic beverage campaign with Erika Jayne from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, as well as a Pillsbury family-friendly project. Even Fallon’s fellow late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will make an appearance during an episode focused on a Captain Morgan football season campaign.
Meet the cast of ‘On Brand with Jimmy Fallon’
The group of ten On Brand contestants spans different ages, backgrounds and creative skill sets. Among them is Azhelle Wade, a Rhode Island–based toy industry veteran known as “The Toy Coach” who’s patented several of her own designs. New Yorker Bianca Fernandez is a Gen Z’er who pivoted from an interest in pre-law to a career in brand strategy, while Brooklyn’s Pyper Bleu comes from an art collective and clothing label background.
Floridian Sabrina Burke is pivoting from decades in real estate to a new marketing career, while Lauren Karwoski is a former news reporter and solo world traveler based in New York who hopes to put her experiences to work in crafting campaigns.
Others include Chicago native Elijah Bennett, a film graduate and ghostwriter who describes himself as a storyteller. Nashville’s Ryan Winn, who runs his own small marketing agency, will be joined by a fellow Tennessean — Dr. Rajesh Srivastava, a marketing professor who’s taught strategy for decades. Rounding out the group of contestants for Fallon’s new show are two Texans: BT Hale, a father of three who’s also a honky-tonk emcee, and Mahiri Takai, founder of Men’s Fashion Week Dallas with a background as both a pastor and agency owner.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/andymeek/2025/08/26/nbcs-on-brand-with-jimmy-fallon-unveils-trailer-and-full-cast/
