How NBCU handled Linda Yaccarino's exit, writers' strike at 2023 upfront

NBCUniversal's upfront presentation quickly became the most anticipated of the annual media peacocking to advertisers following a pair of controversies facing the company. The industry wondered how the company, which kicked off upfront week Monday morning from Radio City Music Hall, would address the sudden departure of longtime ad chief Linda Yaccarino, who was named last week CEO of Twitter, and how the Writers Guild of America strike would impact the show, both as protesters picket the venue's entrance and as the strike deters talent from participating in industry events. Here’s a look at what went down at the dog-and-pony show: The drama addressed After a raucous opening musical number by crass animated teddy bear Ted and a cast of dancers (more on that below), NBCU Chairman of TV and Streaming Mark Lazarus took the stage. “So what was more surprising today: being welcomed by a foul-mouthed teddy bear or seeing me up here on stage?” Lazarus asked, referring to Yaccarino’s absence. “In all seriousness, Linda and I have worked together for many, many years…and for her many contributions and for building an excellent team here, we want to thank her and wish her well.” Related: Advertisers react to Yaccarino's move to Twitter Mark Marshall, who was named interim chairman of advertising and partnerships following Yacarrino's exit, received by far the loudest applause of the show, which included performances by Reba McEntire and Nick Jonas. Closing the show, Marshall said it was “an absolute honor and really a little humbling to be out on this stage.” He also thanked Yaccarino, with whom he’d worked throughout his 10-year tenure at NBCU. Trailers make a comeback as acting talent is absent In recent years, TV network groups have overwhelmed advertisers with ever-growing portfolios of linear, digital, events, sports and more to advertise against. A seeming casualty has been trailers for the shows themselves, frequently noted as a missed element by industry sources. NBCU filled that gap with 10 trailers for shows coming to NBC, Peacock and Telemundo, as well as sizzle reels for Universal films and NBCU's sports rights. But the uptick in trailers made apparent another absence—on-screen talent. The show included a montage of favorite “Saturday Night Live” moments, without any “SNL” talent present. This included the absence of late-night funnyman Seth Myers, who was not on hand to do his usual roasting of the entire upfront process. And a video of interviews with show creators including Amy Poehler, Rian Johnson and Dick Wolf featured a disclaimer that the interviews were conducted in April 2023, before the writers went on strike. Also read: Advertisers brace for writers' strike fallout Instead, NBCU filled its 90-minute presentation with reality TV stars, including talent from “Vanderpump Rules” and the cast of Bravo's reboot for “Real Housewives of New York.” Telemundo actors Rafael Amaya and William Levy stood out as the sole scripted series actors to appear on stage. Still, there were some star-studded moments, including performances from singers Grace Potter, McEntire and Jonas. Overall, the NBCU upfront was slightly more subdued than shows past, hitting a highlight early on with the opening musical performance from animated toy Ted, who had the audience of advertisers shouting with laughter with ad-themed lyrics such as, “Twitter may seem like the place to begin, but Twitter just let all the crazies back in,” and “We all were just dreamers to think that the streamers were anything else besides fads—Netflix and chill became a slogan that stuck; so we tried one that we called Peacock and fuck.” Ted, the titular character from the Seth Macfarlane movie series, is currently being adapted into a Peacock show. Upfronts and NewFronts blog Tracking the latest TV and digital ad pitches Read more here Fragmentation isn’t scary Marshall closed the show with the media company's sales pitch, which assured marketers stressed out by the barrage of ad-supported platforms for media consumption, that “fragmentation isn’t bad, it’s not scary.” Marshall pointed to “Saturday Night Live,” which sees unique and high interaction across NBC on the night of airing, as well as on Peacock when it streams the following day, on YouTube in the form of sketches that air on NBC’s channel and in clips across social media. NBCU is able to place advertising across all of those platforms for brands looking to target the show’s audience. “This is what every media mix model has looked for forever, is that ability to find massive reach with low duplication,” said Marshall. “Many of you have already harnessed the power of One Platform. You’ve broken free from legacy day parts. You've traded gender and age demographics—this is crazy—for actual audiences that are going to buy your product.” Marshall’s remarks also thanked Yaccarino and the mothers in the audience that had to travel on Mother’s Day to be in New York for the upfront week Throughout the show, references were made to competitors who introduced advertising as seemingly a last resort across the streaming and social ecosystem. “Importantly, your ads will be welcomed as part of the family not looked at as a last resort or an unwelcome guest,” Marshall said. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

How NBCU handled Linda Yaccarino's exit, writers' strike at 2023 upfront

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