Dive Brief:
- Netflix’s new golf-themed Will Ferrell vehicle “The Hawk” will debut with bespoke campaigns for Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Hyundai Genesis, according to a press release.
- Ads from Mike’s Hard are meant to further a brand refresh that kicked off earlier this year. Creative features Luke Wilson as Golden Fisk, a rival golfer to Ferrell’s Lonnie Hawkins and a character sponsored by the beverage marketer within the show.
- The Mike’s Hard partnership extends into national retail placements and co-branded merchandise available via a sweepstakes as well. The Genesis campaign also ties directly into the world of the series, with a key character finding comfort in the vehicle’s cabin during a high-pressure sports moment.
Dive Insight:
Netflix’s pair of tie-ups around “The Hawk” show how the streamer is focusing on custom brand integrations with its content to stand out in an increasingly competitive ad-supported streaming field. Ads are becoming a more important piece of Netflix’s business as the company looks to diversify revenue growth beyond subscriptions and appeal to price-conscious viewers.
Both efforts enlist actors from the main cast of “The Hawk” and represent new swings from the respective brands. Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury offering, does not often dabble in comedy, given the category’s skew toward serious-minded prestige, while Mike’s Hard is cracking into golf, a sport that has become a bigger magnet for advertisers as more young people pick up a set of clubs. Netflix argues that brands that take these types of gambles through entertainment partnerships can be rewarded by fandoms.
“A title like ‘The Hawk’ is not right for every brand, but it was for these two because of their business and brand objectives,” said Magno Herran, vice president of global brand marketing and partnerships at Netflix, in a statement.
For Mike’s Hard, “The Hawk” collaboration is part of a larger ramp up in marketing activity as the Mark Anthony Brands fixture tries to navigate a fast-shifting alcohol category where reaching Gen Z has become particularly difficult. The marketer of boozy citrus beverages in March debuted a new creative platform, “Made with Real Character,” that stars a trio of edgy animated lemons.
Another new face of the brand is Wilson’s Golden Fisk, a smooth-talking antagonist to Ferrell’s character in “The Hawk.” An ad directed by Lucia Aniello, of “Hacks” renown, shows Fisk struggling to wedge a tall boy of Mike’s Harder Lemonade into his personally labeled tanning bed while the song “A Horse With No Name” plays in the background. Mike’s Hard’s work with Netflix also extends into retail, where it will run co-branded placements in stores around the U.S.
Genesis’ creative meanwhile centers on Lance Hawkins, the son of Ferrell’s protagonist, as he breaks down on the course due to pressure and shuts himself in a car to cool off before nailing his next shot.
“The Hawk,” which premieres July 16, was created by Ferrell, Harper Steele and Chris Henchy and co-stars Ferrell’s fellow “Saturday Night Live” alum Molly Shannon. A challenge for Netflix and its brand partners is keeping viewers hooked for the long term, with more people ditching programs on the platform after just one season, according to a recent Bloomberg report. Some critics have also expressed frustration with the bigger influx of overt product placement in content, a problem that could be amplified as Netflix vies to hit $3 billion in ad revenue this year.
Other streamers are pursuing a similar strategy to Netflix as they see advertising as a booster of profitability. “Elle,” a prequel series to “Legally Blonde” from Prime Video, launched earlier this month with an in-depth L’Oréal Paris sponsorship.
