On Tuesday, viewers tuning in to ABC’s Emmy Award-winning Primetime Special, “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” got an extra 80’s surprise: nostalgic integrations from Kraft Heinz, Jack in the Box and Aviation Gin that lovingly recreated the era in unexpected ways. The integrations, created by Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort and Jimmy Kimmel’s Kimmelot, mixed 80’s brands with iconic talent including Alfonso Ribeiro, Jennifer Beals, Bob Vila and David Leisure and voice-overs from Nina Blackwood, Alan Hunter and Robyn Lively.

The first-of-its-kind integrations for Aviation American Gin, Jack in the Box and Kraft Heinz’s Kool-Aid, HEINZ, Kraft Singles, and Oscar Mayer playfully extended the 80’s homage on a night honoring two beloved television sitcoms, “Diff’rent Strokes” and “Facts of Life,” starring Kevin Hart, Jennifer Aniston and an all-star cast.

Alfonso Ribeiro is featured in a reimagined spot for Oscar Mayer, created by Kimmelot and Maximum Effort. Credit: Kimmelot and Maximum Effort

Bob Vila and Alfonso Ribeiro appear in a reimagined spot for Kool-Aid created by Kimmelot and Maximum Effort. Credit: Kimmelot and Maximum Effort

“The power of nostalgia is undeniable and since the first primetime special we wanted to transport the audience back in time to create a complete 80’s experience,” says Dan Sanborn, Head of Marketing at Kimmelot and President of partner company Wheelhouse Labs. “From the show, to the content, to the brands, we wanted to make our audience smile. People remember things that make them laugh and through this partnership we were able to create some branded entertainment that shined a light on our favorite rad, absurd and fun pop culture memories of the beloved 80’s.”

The “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” integrations provided brands an innovative way to reach audiences with fun, nostalgic content during an in-show experience. These integrations can be re-experienced when streaming “Live in Front of a Studio Audience: ‘The Facts of Life’ and ‘Diff’rent Strokes'” on Hulu starting today, December 8th.

“At Maximum Effort, we love playing with and creating culture and we’re pretty sure culture peaked in the 1980’s,” says George Dewey, President of Maximum Effort. “It was a simpler time when we talked about nuclear annihilation and not knowing where our children were at 10pm. The opportunity to dial up the marketing synthesizer at Jimmy Kimmel’s 80’s party was something we simply couldn’t ‘Just Say No’ to.”

Bree LeMasters, Executive Director, Entertainment Brand Solutions, Disney Advertising Sales adds, “At Disney, we create unrivaled and unique storytelling experiences. Working alongside best-in-class partners like Jimmy Kimmel and Kimmelot and Ryan Reynolds and Maximum Effort to develop innovative content for “Live in Front of a Studio Audience” has been an experience that’s sure to delight our viewers.”

The three major brands involved – Kraft Heinz, Jack in the Box, and Aviation American Gin – were early hand-raisers embracing a new way to integrate their products into this eventful special.

When asked if they were excited about this opportunity, Kraft Heinz representative, ‘The Kool-Aid Man’, comments “Oh Yeah!”. Sanjiv Gajiwala, U.S. Chief Growth Officer at Kraft Heinz adds, “At Kraft Heinz, we strive to create content that not only acknowledges culture, but also contributes to it in a way that consumers love. Jimmy Kimmel and the Maximum Effort teams have a long-standing history of developing content that resonates across multiple platforms and with diverse audiences in meaningful ways – we’re thrilled to be a part of that.”

Jack in the Box Chief Marketing Officer Ryan Ostrom comments, “We are always on a mission to showcase Jack in the Box’s comedic humor and wit within all aspects of our advertising so partnering with Ryan Reynolds and his challenger brand, Maximum Effort, to create a comedic, witty and nostalgic integration was a no-brainer. Jack in the Box has been around for 70 years and is nostalgic for so many. We hope this integration gives our fans that thrived in the 80’s an opportunity to reminisce on their late-night trips to Jack in the Box and discuss when shoulder pads were cool.” 

“Aviation may not have been around in the 1980’s but we’re pretty sure the taste is timeless,” says Andrew T. Chrisomalis, CEO of Davos Brands, “We’ve become accustomed to unorthodox approaches from Ryan and the Maximum Effort team and for this 1980’s video to be our first network TV integration makes total sense and we couldn’t be happier.”