Kristen Herlihy is helping Omaha Productions maximize its creative sports marketing

To Kristen Herlihy, sports have a unifying nature that brings people together. But so do things like music, movies and food. As head of branded content at Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s production company, the 32-year-old Herlihy is looking to merge consumers’ love for sports with other areas of entertainment. One example of this is “Pit Stops,” a digital series created in partnership with BBQGuys in which athletes and celebrities grill with lead host Cooper Manning—Peyton Manning’s eldest brother and host of Fox Sports’ “The Manning Hour.” See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here “Pit Stops,” which premiered in September 2022, is one of the many marketing campaigns Herlihy has spearheaded. She’s also collaborated with Workday, Nationwide and the American Red Cross, as well as with Netflix on the documentary “Quarterback.” When she began at Omaha Productions in 2021, a year after the company’s launch, there was no branded content division. Now, with the expansion of its marketing, production and in-house creative development teams, Omaha Productions staffs more than 30 employees on branded content. “I say this all the time: Nothing happens in a silo at this company,” said Herlihy. “It’s a very small team. But I think it’s a team that’s really committed to winning.” If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why? Chris Farley was one of my absolute favorite comedians. I grew up watching “Tommy Boy” with my brothers and it’s still a guaranteed laugh every time I revisit. I’d want to ask Farley about working with such funny friends, chat about his old "SNL" characters (Gap Girls, anyone?!), and play pranks on unsuspecting fellow diners together. That would be the most fun dinner of all time. What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis? It is here in front of close personal friends that I can admit I’m addicted to TikTok. I also won’t quit Twitter, no matter what it’s called now. You can’t beat it for clever community reaction to live sports. What’s currently on your bedside reading list? “Smart Brevity” What was the last show you binge-watched? Ever since I started listening to the “Smartless” podcast, “Arrested Development” has been regular programming in my house. Lucille Bluth walked so Moira Rose could run. At what age do you hope to retire? I feel like this is a trick question. Staying busy is basically a personality trait for me and I feel like as long as I’m working on engaging projects with creative touchpoints, I’ll continue to do so! See all of Ad Age’s 40 Under 40 honorees here

Kristen Herlihy is helping Omaha Productions maximize its creative sports marketing

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