Not so long ago, it would have been hard to imagine a show named “Assy McGee” getting on the air, much less with a major advertiser as a sponsor.
And yet, “Assy McGee,” the AdultSwim animated series that follows the adventures of a cop whose body pretty much stops at the waist and who wears no pants to show off his good (back) side, not only has an advertiser but an exclusive sponsor in Scion.
During each “Assy” episode this season, which kicks off April 6, a mock commercial for Scion will appear.
The 35-second commercial is a takeoff on those local auto dealer spots with the loud-mouthed pitchman. Only in this spot, the loudmouth is Assy, who makes a gassy pitch, complete with graphics that promise Scion car shoppers, “No Haggle,” “No Hassle,” “No Bullshit.” It ends with the tag “Don’t make me run your ass over.”
AdultSwim has been breaking records for attracting young adults in the 18- to 34-year-old age bracket, particularly young men. That’s a tough cohort to attract, so it makes sense that if this type of edgy programming is bringing them in, the marketing message might as well be delivered in as similar a vein as can be gotten away with.
“Today’s young adult is so heavily marketed to through multiple forms of media, it’s imperative that when they spend time at Adult Swim we deliver the same irreverent, humorous approach in our custom marketing content as they value within our programming lineup,” said John O’Hara, general sales manager of Adult Swim ad sales and marketing. “It’s necessary to partner with savvy brands like Scion, who value young adult culture and humor, as well as have the support of our show’s creators, to make this type of unique content come to life.”
Scion, a youth brand from Toyota Motor Sales, has drunk the Kool-Aid.
“We love finding innovative and fun ways to increase awareness of our new Scion xB,” said Jack Hollis, Scion VP. “This Adult Swim integration will really engage Scion enthusiasts and viewers alike as we communicate our brand philosophy and some xB features in a fun and entertaining manner.”
Custom content that combines characters from programming with a brand message is all the rage right now. In some ways, it can be easier to do in animation, because if the producers sign on they don’t have to worry about getting the talent to cooperate.
In addition to the custom on-air integration, Scion will extend its presence within “Assy McGee” tune-in promos running each week on Adult Swim.
AdultSwim and Scion have partnered in the past on creative marketing promotions, notably in 2006 for the original series “Frisky Dingo,” when the Scion tC sports coupe was drawn directly into an episode of the show.
Zenith Media facilitated both unique custom opportunities between Scion and AdultSwim.
“Assy McGee” is an animated series from executive producers Carl Adams of Clambake Animation and Matt Harrigan. The show tells the story of a hardboiled cop with a bad attitude and an itchy trigger finger. According to the network, “Assy is reckless, violent and has been known to break the law—or shoot someone—to keep the investigation going. But he also is a great cop, able to get his man one way or another.”
Working alongside Assy is his partner Det. Don Sanchez, but the Chief always seems to be on Assy’s case.