(Not So) Mad Man: Jimmy Fallon Is Turning Ads Into Must-See TV

Mad Men’s Don Draper once said that advertising is based on one thing: happiness. However, Jimmy Fallon’s new advertising competition series, On Brand, may suggest another answer: “Munchbox.” The silly-sounding, accidentally risqué sentiment comes from a contestant pitching Dunkin’ on Fallon’s new The Apprentice-meets-Project Runway hybrid, where contestants come up with campaigns for major brands and advertising collides with comedy—one misguided coffee chain pitch at a time. “[Dunkin’ execs] looked at me like, ‘What’s this show? Are we going to get good ideas?’” Fallon said. But that’s the thing about On Brand—sometimes it’s best when it’s off brand. Fallon compared the Dunkin’ Munchbox pitch to William Hung’s infamous “She Bangs” audition on American Idol, a flop so bad it became unforgettable. “I was looking for that moment. I want my cringey moment,” Fallon said. “And what’s great about it is she had no idea what she was saying. That’s what made it better. She was so innocent and just kept saying, ‘Munchbox.’ And I immediately turned into a 12-year-old kid on the playground. I couldn’t stop laughing.” But for every bombed pitch, there is also plenty of thinking outside the (munch)box. Winning campaigns will appear in the real world shortly after the episodes air—something Fallon expects will “move the needle” for both brands and contestants. “I’ve never seen that done on TV before, which is rare to say you’re doing something that’s new,” Fallon said. So how does Fallon find the right mix of comedy and commerce that won’t leave audiences glazing over during a sales pitch—or advertisers puckering their doughnut holes? “It’s a lot of crossing your fingers,” Fallon said. “Just being honest.” Finger-crossing is the M.O. for television lately. Ratings are shrinking, audiences are scattered, and even late night’s strongest franchises are vulnerable. For instance, the cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert rattled Fallon's group chat of fellow late-night hosts: "We all texted each other. We're just kind of in shock, like, 'Wow, when can we all talk? And what can we do?' No one knew. I don't know all the details of what went down, but I know that when it came to it, it was definitely a shock." In a wide-ranging interview, the host outlined how he is doing way more than just finger crossing when it comes to TV and advertising’s commingled future. Not Too Late for Late Night Fallon’s NBC tenure has spanned more than 25 years, since starting his TV career on SNL in 1998. Though The Late Show’s cancellation is an unexpected accelerant of the changes in late night television, the industry has been shifting for years in all facets. Long before sitting behind the desk at The Tonight Show, the comedian's eighth-grade teacher at St. Mary of the Snow school in Saugerties, New York, had predicted in a yearbook that Fallon would replace late night legend David Letterman. So perhaps it was fitting that after Fallon thought his original late-night show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, had booked U2 for its premiere episode in 2009, David Letterman’s Late Show took the band away for a weeklong stay. "All we could offer is one appearance at 12:30 in the morning, which would air probably at 1:30 in the morning because it's music," Fallon said. U2 would later make amends with Fallon and join him for his Tonight Show hosting debut in 2014: "Bono came and apologized to me. He was so nice. He came in with The Edge to apologize." However, any gamesmanship or "late-night wars" between the likes of the Lettermans and Lenos of yesteryear feel all but extinct. The current late night hosts, who also include Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Meyers, and John Oliver—all members of the Strike Force Five podcast—have shown solidarity and ongoing support following The Late Show's cancellation ahead of the program signing off in May 2026. "Every now and then, we'll just put 'checking in' or something like that, or just try to make him laugh," Fallon said of his group chat with Colbert and other late-night hosts. "It's weird that the landscape is going to change come May. I just know that I'm gonna miss him, and I'm gonna miss playing with him in that class. It just keeps getting smaller." Awards shows illustrate the late night property pullback. There were five shows nominated for Outstanding Talk Series at the Emmys in 2023. Due to a reduced field of entrants, there were only three nominees in 2025. And though there are suspicions that The Late Show was canceled for political reasons amid the $8 billion Skydance-Paramount merger, there are enough jarring statistics that Paramount can at least feign that the cancellation was, in some part, a "financial decision." After all, in 2015, when Colbert first took over The Late Show, The Tonight Show was leading the field, averaging close to 4 million viewers a night. Meanwhile, for the 2024-2025 TV season, Colbert’s Late Show was the leader while bringing in only around 2.5 million viewers. Fallon's show was also hit with cutbacks last year, with The Tonight Show moving to four days per week instead of five, something Fallon, who loves to work, says "drives me crazy." The ad dollars have fallen just as sharply as the ratings, with total linear TV ad revenue for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Jimmy Kimmel Live! dropping by half, from $404 million in 2018 to around $200 million in 2024, according to Guideline. Still, Fallon pooh-poohs antiquated measurement methods, which he said "never mattered." "I was never competing against anyone else, ever. I wasn't even watching the other shows. I was competing against sleep. How do I keep people awake? What can I keep people interested in?" Fallon said. "[Ratings] are not the game I'm playing. I just want to keep creating and see how far I can stretch it and see how big I can make it." And Fallon and his team have made it big. Over the last year, the show racked up 9.2 billion views across social media (from June 1, 2024, to May 30, 2025), a 55% increase year over year, while also reaching more than 100 million followers and subscribers across its platforms—more followers than any other late-night show. "I was always, in the back of my mind, building that as well, just in case things all go up and down," Fallon said of the show's social presence, adding, "If Johnny Carson were around, he'd be like, 'Dude, they're watching you in Germany and Dubai.'" Measurement company EDO told ADWEEK that Colbert's show was especially efficient with its ads, with advertisers needing to air around "four spots during competitive late-night programming to generate as much impact." However, several media buyers also told ADWEEK that both Fallon and Kimmel made their shows more advertiser-friendly overall. "We get opportunities all the time for different integrations from companies, which I love. Toilet paper? I don't even care. Give me your hardest sell. I will try to make it fun," Fallon said. Fallon says he's always been interested in advertising—"I mean, we grew up in America"—even reading ADWEEK magazine to learn about the latest ads while studying at the College of St. Rose in Albany, a school he later received an honorary doctorate from—and also one that has gone out of business, filing for bankruptcy late last year. "If this were a year ago, you would be talking to a doctor," Fallon said. "But I feel like my college went out of business, so my fake degree is also nil." His advertising interest has carried over into The Tonight Show, where he says he tries to be as honest and transparent as possible when presenting ads: "[Audiences] can smell phony," Fallon said. The Tonight Show host regularly showcases the various brands he's involved with, including his collaborations with Brooklyn art collective Mschf on a color-changing Gobstomper shoe or clothier Alex Mill for his line of P'Jimmies pajamas; his numerous children's books, such as his latest, "Papa Doesn't Do Anything," a book with a funny title that delivers a deep message; or even a multimedia project, such as his "Holiday Seasoning" album, which Fallon noted never caught on like he intended. "That was like a four-year project. That almost killed me," Fallon said, adding, "That one's got time. I'm gonna push that this season as well." Due to Fallon's advertiser-coveted, family-friendly brand, multiple media buyers also noted that The Tonight Show charges a premium when compared to competitors, which, depending on the deal, can be 25% above other shows or more. It's through these numerous advertiser integrations that Fallon thought of his On Brand reality show in the first place. "I was trying to think of bits for the show. I think of them all the time for different companies, and I go, 'Wouldn't it be fun if everyone could do this?'" Fallon said. "And I think these brands will be psyched that they're getting a 45-minute commercial." Building the Brand When the inspiration struck, Fallon wrote out a multi-page pitch for a show he called “Branded” in the Pages app on his iPad, adding a registered trademark symbol at the end of the name—"I thought that was clever”—before sending it off to the head of NBC reality programming. As it stands, the series, which will air twice weekly on Tuesdays and Fridays beginning Sept. 30, will showcase Fallon starting a premier marketing firm called On Brand Agency, filling it with creatives from all walks of life to pitch major brands on everything from jingles to national commercials and campaigns. Captain Morgan, Dunkin’, KitchenAid, Marshalls, Pillsbury, Sonic Drive-In, Southwest Airlines, and Therabody have all signed on for Season 1. Samsung powers On Brand Agency’s headquarters, and Canva acts as a design partner. The On Brand set includes both modern and vintage elements. There’s an “idea tree” where contestants can brainstorm, a “nap nook” powered by Samsung, and Fallon’s office is decked out in ’70s chic complete with an intercom to make announcements to contestants. Bozoma Saint John, a Real Housewives star who’s also been in the C-suites for brands such as Uber, Pepsi, and Netflix, serves as the chief marketing officer for Fallon’s On Brand agency to mentor creatives along the way—and, according to Fallon, “basically legitimize the show, so [no one’s] like, ‘Why is Jimmy Fallon doing this?’” That addition came from Fallon’s wife, Nancy Juvonen. “My wife said, ‘Do you know Boz from Real Housewives?’ And I was like, ‘That doesn’t sound like the direction I want,’” Fallon said. “She’s like, ‘No, you have to see who she is. She’s the runaway hit from this season.’ So I watched it, and I’m like, ‘Oh, she’s overqualified.’” According to Fallon, Saint John helped with everything from guiding contestants—"she's done it all before," he said—to catching him up on advertising lingo, including ROI (return on investment) and LTO (limited time offer): "I'm like, 'What's LTO?' It sounds like a car," he joked. However, since Fallon had never hosted a reality competition series of this nature, the show went through what he said were "thousands" of changes. An early pitch idea from Fallon included mini challenges that involved local businesses. Winners were once going to be "master branders" before the name gave way to the title of Innovator of the Week. Even the name of the show was going to be something along the lines of Branding It before Fallon pushed for the On Brand name. The show also originally toyed with the idea of having the winner's ad appear in the Super Bowl; however, Fallon noted one of the winning pitches, "not even one from the finale," may still have a chance to land in the Big Game, which is airing on NBC in 2026. Hosting the show offered its own unique set of challenges. For instance, Fallon has an in-ear piece, allowing producers to manage the show and give him direction: "Normally, I would just riff, but they have to have some organization," he said. Additionally, the comedian also had to eliminate contestants, something that's not endemic to his family-friendly brand or congenial nature as host of The Tonight Show: "I hated it," Fallon said. However, the show must go on, and Fallon even worked in his elimination catchphrase, "Your idea is off-brand," as the season progressed. The show may also continue to change in the future. Case in point: Shortly ahead of this interview, ADWEEK became involved in the series. The winner of On Brand will receive $100,000, their ad will be shown on a national stage, and they will be featured in an upcoming issue of ADWEEK. Despite the changes, experimentation has always been one of Fallon's strengths, especially on his late-night idea incubator, The Tonight Show: "It is almost like a laboratory for play," Fallon said. The Life of a Show Guy On Aug. 13, the world held its breath over a sealed box emblazoned with "T.S." on the front. But when the box was opened, it wasn't Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" album announcement on the New Heights podcast. Instead, it was Jimmy Fallon revealing his latest pick for The Tonight Show book club, "My Friends" by Fredrik Backman. Fallon came up with the Swift parody at 4:30 p.m., and the show films around 5: "[The writers] were like, 'Oh my god, you think about this now.'" Acting quickly, the props department pulled it off, grabbing a silver briefcase from a Tumi store and sticking on the "T.S." with minutes to spare. "Big announcement," Fallon said, showing the "T.S." briefcase on the show to applause. "Tonight Show." However, not every idea lands or achieves those particular heights. The Tonight Show host said he thought thousands of gags would be bigger than they turned out to be, including a former sketch called "Lick It for 10," where audience members had to lick something to receive $10. It didn't catch on, and the show had the dusty pre-ordered merch to prove it. In another previous sketch, the show had celebrities sing an a cappella version of "We Are the Champions," with the likes of Christina Aguilera, Ariana Grande, Carrie Underwood, and more belting out the tune at separate times. The footage was later put together onscreen so the celebs could be shown singing in unison, with each person appearing in a separate box, Brady Bunch-style. However, due to the show still figuring things out in its early days, footage moved around, and Usher, who was pointing around in his video like he was in the middle square and interacting with the other celebs, was placed in the lower left corner—pointing to no one. The video has since become a meme, with viewers pointing out the Usher gaffe. It's become so big that, when the show did a similar a cappella-style bit for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, a segment director mentioned that one of the cast said: "Don't do me dirty like Usher." But without that experimentation, the show wouldn't be where it is today, with popular sketches sometimes launching off into new shows, including projects like Password and That's My Jam with the help of Fallon's Electric Hotdog production company. The Tonight Show support is extending to On Brand, with Fallon saying that he wants the full cast on the talk show and plans to promote the series along the way. But that's also a two-way street: Fallon said The Tonight Show hasn't always had strong lead-ins, and that may finally change with the NBA coming to NBC and a show like On Brand airing on Tuesdays and Fridays to keep viewers hooked. "Sometimes you've got to do it yourself. If you have no lead-in, let's make it," Fallon said. The show is also getting some unexpected support. ABC's Shark Tank is moving off Fridays in the fall, which was "just luck" according to Fallon. "That's big for us," he added. "I want to go on business shows and talk like, 'Hey, if you and your family watch Shark Tank on Fridays, we have a show that's perfect for you.'" Meanwhile, in a time when publishers are turning to brands amid budgets becoming increasingly constrained, "budget-wise, it kind of pays for itself. The way it was structured is a deal that hasn't really been made before, where the product is paying for the episode." Facing an uncertain TV landscape, Fallon plans to continue his experimentation, even exploring the Tonight Show format as more ad dollars and viewers shift to live programming. "There's nothing that says we can't do the show live, too. I would totally do it. I have nothing against doing that," Fallon said. "Booking it would be tougher, but we could at least do a special week or something." As for the future of The Tonight Show, Fallon, who's signed through 2028, plans to keep hosting "until people stop caring." “There’s no plan for an exit,” he said. “I’ll just keep my head down, work hard, and try to make people happy.” Ultimately, the mission of making people happy may bode well for On Brand, too. After all, Don Draper said advertising comes down to one thing—and it's not Munchbox. Jimmy Fallon was photographed for ADWEEK by Mark Selinger and styled by Chloe Hartstein, with makeup by Cyndie Lou Boehm and hair by Jennifer Johnson.

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(Not So) Mad Man: Jimmy Fallon Is Turning Ads Into Must-See TV

ADWEEK met Fallon in NYC to discuss how the late-night host mixes family-friendly comedy, cringe, and campaigns in On Brand and takes on TV's uncertain future.

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