How Simply Spiked and Peacock are bringing influencer marketing to streaming

Viewers tuning in to Peacock’s “Bel-Air” this week will be introduced to a new recurring character: Simply Spiked. The boozy juice will appear as an integral element in one character’s quest for influencer stardom. The sponsorship, which spans three episodes, is an example of how brands are increasingly leaning into streaming TV to capture elusive TV audiences. 

Product placements within TV shows are certainly not new, nearly as old as the medium itself. But the increasingly fragmented media landscape, coupled “with so many paid opportunities that are making it harder and harder to get to the right frequency and reach levels in a consistent way,” have made custom integrations in streaming programming all the more valuable, said Joy Ghosh, VP of marketing for above premium beer and flavored malt beverages at Molson Coors, which co-owns Simply Spiked along with Coca-Cola. 

What made this opportunity especially unique is how Peacock and Simply Spiked leaned into the idea of influencer marketing, which, in some ways, has become a competing marketing channel for TV. 

“Bel-Air” is Peacock’s modern take on the classic sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” following Will Smith’s (this time portrayed by Jabari Banks) transition from the streets of Philadelphia to the wealthy lifestyle of his L.A.-based relatives. 

The Simply Spiked-“Bel-Air” sponsorship manifests as a storyline in which Smith’s cousin, Hilary Banks (portrayed by Coco Jones), is looking to kick start her career as a social media influencer with…a Simply Spiked sponsorship. Banks is pitching the brand to be an ambassador for the launch of its new peach flavor, which will also be launching in real life later this month.

The Simply Spiked plot line begins during episode three of “Bel-Air” season two, streaming March 9.

NBCU had been seeking a brand that fit the prompt for the Hilary Banks storyline, which would fulfill messaging around food, fashion, social media and multicultural audiences, according to Peter Blacker, executive VP of streaming and data products, as well as DE&I for global ad sales. 

The partnership with Simply Spiked was brokered by Molson Coors' media agency, Publicis Groupe’s Connect.

“What we end up doing is having brainstorming sessions between our two teams, and ideally, help the brands find new ways to connect with their audience and help our writers find an interesting tweak or twist to their storyline,” said Blacker. For Simply Spiked, the brand’s initial scene includes more than just sip shots and products sitting in frame but contributes to a conflict between Hilary Banks and frenemy Ivy, as well as Banks’ push to grow a social following to compete with her peers.

The influencer storyline also excited Molson Coors’ Ghosh as a reflection of current conversations around marketing in what he called “the TikTok era.”

“There’s obviously a lot of discussion in the press and media world about the role of influencers now—this idea of ‘unfluencers’ and how that’s changing consumers’ perceptions of being marketed and sold to,” said Ghosh. “That’s also going to be reflected in the show.”

Read more: Inside TikTok's de-influencing trend

The Simply Spiked integration follows a string of TV partnerships for Molson Coors, which has had its Coors Banquet beer featured in Paramount’s “Yellowstone” and Netflix’s “Cobra Kai.”

“If you look at the success of Banquet, it’s been a big part of Molson Coors’ playbook—finding ways to really integrate our brands to the culture, in programming that really leans into what the brand stands for, but also is really relevant to what’s happening in a pop culture media today.”

Although Simply Spiked Lemonade ran a national campaign on TV last year,  the “Bel-Air” partnership is the first time the brand has pursued a media sponsor of this scale, focused specifically around its key demographic of 21-to 30-year-old drinkers and Black consumers. Ghosh said the brand has doubled its media spend year-to-year.

The first season of “Bel-Air,” which premiered in early 2022, was streamed by eight million Peacock accounts, according to NBCUniversal. It also pulls a largely young, Black audience—the same demographic cross-section that has become top consumers of Simply Spiked.

In addition to the story integration with “Bel-Air,” Simply Spiked will run pause and binge ads on Peacock—in part to reinforce that the peach flavor launch is also taking part in real life—as well as creative during March Madness, the NBA playoffs and the ESPY awards broadcast, plus podcast sponsorships such as with iHeart Media’s Black Effect podcast network.