Craig Ferguson (brand exemplar?)

Are TV talk shows a laboratory for branding?  Do we have something to learn from Jay Leno, David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel and Craig Ferguson?

Well, surely, we don't want our brands to look like Jay Leno's The Tonight Show, that exercise in the painfully agreeable.  Jay Leno used to be a comedian:

"President Bush is recovering after an illness in Japan.  His medical advisers were very clear.  They said to the President, "Get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids.""

"Plenty of rest, lots of fluids?  I thought that was Congress's job."

Now, Jay uses EZ humor.  Retirement happened a while ago.  We're just waiting for him to leave. 

Jay's story is the story of a several brands.  They begin with edge and intelligence and then trade this away for growth.  They grow large without even as they wither within.  EZ branding, it's everywhere.  Big simple branding propositions.  Repeated endlessly. Argh.  Retirement can't come soon enough.

Jimmy Kimmel is another story.  I liked the fact that he promised his talk show was going to be a "funny version of the Tonight Show."  And I like the fact that he manages to express two very different parts of contemporary culture: wicked clever and Man Show stupidity.  The person who can pull this off is a genius or the head writer at a Frat house.  The brand that can pull this off, well, name one.  ESPN, maybe.  Apparently, Kimmel is up 17 % among adults 18 to 49, so a lot of brands ought to be taking notice.

But there is trouble in this little paradise.  Kimmel is making a host of compromises.  He now wears a tie.  The show is no longer live.  He dutifully stands up for his monologue.  Yes, the numbers are growing, but it is not clear that the potency of the proposition can sustain itself. 

This is an old story, the trading away of credibility to get to success.  It looks as if Entertainment Weekly may be engaged in something like this.  (The current cover showing Matthew McConaughey under the desperate title "Sexiest Man Alive or Serious Actor?" is but one indication.)  It's always the same.  The compromises begin to accumulate, the numbers spike nicely, and within a year or two the thing has jumped the shark. 

The lesson from Jimmy Kimmel and his handlers may be this: take grow only if you can have it without compromise.  If you need bigger numbers, start another brand.

This week I've been watching Craig Ferguson on The Late, Late Show, and I wonder if he is a new model of the talk show host...and perhaps the brand.

First, Ferguson reverses the trend.  We are now accustomed to actors who started as comedians (Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Robin Williams, Steve Martin, Ray Romano, Martin Lawrence, Will Ferrell, the list is long). Ferguson is a comedian who started as an actor.   

Second, Ferguson is the picture of animation.  If he were any more animated, he'd be a cartoon character.  I counted 15 vivid, distinct, arch expressions and then gave up.  This guy just loves to mug for the camera and he manages to get from "fiendish glee" to "mock horror" in the blink of an eye.  This may be his acting training.  In any case, there is no such thing as dead air in this show.  Even when the guest is shambling along, Ferguson is furiously digging around them for comic material with the joy and accuracy of a truffle pig. 

Third, Ferguson builds an interesting relationship with the audience.  He actually opens the second segment by saying, "Welcome back, my cheeky little monkeys!"  I tried and tried but I just could not image David Letterman ever saying anything like this to his audience.  (No mugging for Dave.  His is a kind of Protestant, Midwestern, Carsonian theater of the small gesture and restrained reaction.) 

Somehow, Ferguson has got around the "tell a joke" model and creates the impression that everyone in the studio is already party to a joke in progress. In the process he creates an irresistible bonhomie.  No need to get the party started.  It is already well under way the moment Ferguson starts talking.  He insinuates a co-conspiracy and we the audience, go, "well, ok, fine, you're on."  The on-air relationship is, in the words of our favorite linguist, Michael Silverstein, maximally presupposing.  It assumes what other comedians must labor to create.

Fourth, Ferguson is actually a pretty good interviewer...this separates him from most of the competition and especially David Letterman who is certifiably hopeless.  And being an interviews lets him open up the guest list to include guests as diverse as Edward Norton, Ming Tsai, Xzibit and Paula Poundstone.  Norton showed distressing signs of taking himself seriously as the auteur and grand actor, but dear old Ferguson just kept beaming good humor at him till he loosened up.  He got Xzibit to make fun of himself and talked Ms. Poundstone down off the ledge of career insecurity.  Ferguson proves to be as engaging with guests as he is with the audience. 

It's all very Scottish, this humor is.  I have seen something like it before in a little pub several miles outside St. Andrews (aka the middle of nowhere) where people would entertain one another with playfulness, wit and dexterity that left yours-truly silent with awe.  There are elements of the music hall at work, with people vamping and camping their way through cheeky, off color jokes and stories.  And it is completely inexhaustible in what we might otherwise think is the Fergusonian style.   

So it's not as if young Ferguson has made all this up on his own.  But, to be sure, he has, by this time, made it his own, and his opening few minutes of stand up are an exercise in effortlessness and sheer comic facility.  He's very good at this.  It's as if the American comedians have made a fine art of taking things out, baring things down, searching for the mot juste and then timing delivery to within a millisecond of perfection.  Ferguson appears to subscribe to the Grand Central Station idea of train travel. Missed a joke?  Never mind, there'll be another one along in a moment.

What does this have to tell us about branding?  I think the Fergusonian brand is one that brims with lots of things, and shows itself more interested in vividness than consistency, majesty, or even clarity.   A Fergusonian brand is playful, a little surreal at times, vivid, changeable, unpredictable, insinuating, co-conspiratorial, and a little hyperactive.  A Fergusonian brand breaks out of the "keep it simple, stupid" rule book that governs many marketers.  Most of all, the Fergusonian brand works from an abundance model.  It's not about crafting a couple of words and delivering them with surgical perfection.  It's about more, and then more, and then more of that more.  Marketing by profusion.  Not everything will work.  And that's ok.  Now we know.  It's kind of the way Hollywood used to make movies, and the way Jerry Lewis used to make jokes.   

If there is a brand in the world that captures the Fergusonian approach, it is, I think, Geico.com.  There seem to be lots of Geico ads running at the moment: the gecko, stone age man, the workout parodies, the tiny house bit, the geico squirrels, the interpretive spots starring Mini-me, Little Richard, Peter Graves, Charo, and the guy who does the voice over for action-adventure ads.  It's hard to believe all this stuff comes from a single agency.  (As far as I know, it does, from the Martin Agency in Richmond, Virginia.)

I mean, surely, there will come a time when the brand will want to gaze out on its customers, and salute them with a fond "hello, my cheeky, little monkeys."

Reference

I couldn't actually find anything on YouTube that was guite as good as the Ferguson I got to see this week, but here are a couple of examples

Craig Ferguson Vampire Bats Locusts here. 

Late, Late Show - November 3, 2006 here.

Late, Late Show - November 14, 2006 here.

References

Hibberd, James.  2006.  Kimmel's Old School shift Wins Following.  Televisionweek.  December 18, 2006. 

Comments

[Irene]

Love the comparison to Geico.

Ferguson is also the only late-night host who gives the impression that he actually likes his job. There's a lot of talent on other shows but not much joy.

And if you watched Ferguson the nights he eulogized his father and commemorated 9/11, you saw something genuinely special.

[Hob Gadling]

I'm sorry but I late night talk show host comparison and no mention of Conan O'Brien?

[Tom Asacker]

Dead nuts on Grant! The rest did you good. ;) Merry Christmas!

[A Fan]

So well said! I don't have the expertise to express what you have, but, I agree! I have watched the LLS since Tom Snyder hosted. I can say, that since Craig Ferguson took over as host, you DO feel as if there is an ongoing saga of fun, and if you miss a show, you miss out! He never fails to make me laugh out loud! His sense of humor is contagious!

[Karen]

Craig Ferguson is the best thing to hit late night since Johnny Carson. You literally have to watch him. No dozing thru his monologues, because he's so active. Some of the jokes are unsaid! He is very good at what he does.

Really, he's great! I never missed him..., (and I've gotten quite good at work on less sleep, because I'm tired and don't give a damn). Who knew?

[Jonathan]

Mr. McCracken, I agree with you about the dumbed-down delivery of most late-night television. While I am not familiar with Ferguson (I do not watch TV), he does sound like a refreshing change in the status quo. I wonder, however, if you are confusing matters of branding with matters of personal taste.

On one hand, you discuss the sacrifices that brands make in order to achieve success, e.g. Jimmy Kimmel. On the other hand, you dissect why Ferguson's brand is superior. But perhaps you are forcing these hands to shake. You may prefer Ferguson's brand, but that does not mean it is superior in the sense of branding. You call it "abundant", in the sense that there will always be another joke. But isn't this true for all comedians? If Jay Leno flubs, he will continue the show and learn from it as well, won't he?

I watched the samples of Ferguson's show and I agree: his approach and delivery are more inclusive and simply funnier. But Ferguson is relatively new to the circuit compared to Kimmel or Letterman. If you want to discuss the sacrifices a comedian's brand makes over time, I think Ferguson is a poor choice for the role of Eliot Ness. Simply because you find his brand superior does not convince me that his brand is untouchable from the pressures of growth and success.

[art]

Watched alot of Ferguson. He isnt a talk show host, nor a real comedian, but an entertainment-industry person who tries out different slots as offered - writer, actor, talkshow host. He is bad with real interviews - what are you really watching to compare to? He mostly has "friends in the industry" soft stuff, p.r. info-mercial for the guest, more than real talk show which is in fact demanding some kind of feedback from a world outside, and not just audience laughs. It is more than how you describe it.

Very often at a moment in the conversation where something stated can allow him to go in one of two or three directions and riff with the guest, he shows that he has no idea where the real material lies to get a better laugh. It stops and starts again somewhere else, like he wasn't paying attention but looking behind the guest, as in fact, its obvious he IS, to get his cues.

You got used to lazy talkshow hosts I guess. He's a comedian, period. Just because he can maintain a conversation with a guest, doesn't mean he has skills. Skills would mean actually getting that conversation to shift gears, go places, rev up and climax before the time is up, making one want more.

And not exploit the guest so Ferguson can do the usual simple mugging and jokes about whatever, but get the guest to go somewhere for a minute and riff on something, and still deliver the necessary p.r. info.

He IS a sweet guy, though, which is disarming in the industry. He seems to be happier on his own for the ten min or whatever before the guest arrives. That is that nature for ALL people who have hosted the slot of the late,late show.

As for branding - I don't think you made an argument there, I agree with the last comment on that. I think Ferguson stands for the way the LLS made ITSELF a brand, that is so stable for people like Ferguson and those before him, mostly actors, comedians and other stray-beings in the entertainment field, to pretend and "act" in the set of talk show. We viewers expect that of it, either greg kinnear or ferguson, or even for a few weeks wasn't it Cindy Crawford even? It was just a publicity stunt and it became a home after a few people hosted it, like Ferguson.

So Ferguson isn't doing interviews really, he's acting doing interviews, and that shows. He isn't in his "home" base, from where he can really flex his skills. He needs a script with some improv areas WITHIN the script (see Drew Carey show).

The point with Kimmel, Leno and the others, is that you KNOW they are there fighting for their world, their friends of other comedians, industry people, and a peice of the pie. So you start to get an idea of where the connections are, where they route to, their gang, their past, and so on. THAT in turn allows them to start the process of I.D. which can be turned into personality and over time, managed into a "brand" as it links to the business-acting-expression side. But who is Ferguson? Who are his friends really, or his whole history, or routes, connections etc...It isn't anonymous enough, mysterious enough, nor connected enough to start I.D.ing the person, from which to build further and get to the later stages of establishing a brand.

Got to YouTube for an example of a great talk show that was a parody but holds up much better than Ferguson "Fernwood2night".

[Kathy Custren]

Thanks for delineating the impact one man can have on the media. Craig Ferguson's "brand" [of humor] is genuine, which sets him and his product apart from all the other comedians, hosts, and interviewers out there. Viewers can tell he's a hard worker, keenly adept at playing for a live studio TV audience, knowing just how far to push the envelope, as he is in letting things fly in a live theater/comedy act venue. Craig Ferguson has the history of his training and life experiences as a writer, producer, director, and actor from which to draw, thus creating achieving a unique brand and flavor to the hour he has on television. Reruns of his show stand the test of time, as do the numerous blogs that use bits and pieces of his comedy and commentary. (Don't believe me? Just Google-search and see how many pop up on any given day.) Now that he has formed a production company of his own, I surmise his own "brand" will continue in the years ahead [fingers crossed].

[monika Grill]

I think Grant's observations hit the target beautifully. These are the elements i love about CF: his sense of genuine joy and playfulness,like someone who can't believe that he can have this much fun and do what he loves. His intelligence which is not condesending but assumes that his audience is smart and can figure out the more subtle points of a joke. The unique combo of high and low brow comedy, which seems to be a British thing, just think of Monte Phython or Benny Hill. I like this rambling style, which to me denotes someone who knows his stuff intimately and deeply enough to relax, and to play and improvise it like a great musician. I like the genuine interest that he has in people, and the underlying sense of humanity and compassion which is always there and takes the sting out of what could easily become a mean pirited exercise in cleverness.
Being European myself,I love his European-ness, which shows in his appreciations of themes usually considered off-limits for comedians and talk show hosts. Who else would share true yet humorous facts about the ancient Greek? And who else but a European would talk with such genuine ease about bodily functions? I have lived for almost 30 years in America,and let me tell you- Calvinism is still ruling all things sexual.
I think his effortlessness makes it easy to overlook the skill and experience he brings to the table. I like the fact that even at his most "vamping" he lacks the painfully arty self-consciousness of other comedians and talk show hosts.
I look forward to seeing how he will surprise me this time, and not because he needs to convince me or show how smart he is, but because that's what he loves.
Interviews on Talk shows are very much subject to the guests willingness and personality. On the best of days, with a guest that is willing, open, and clicks with the host, this is an exercise in pure joy. When any of these elements are amiss, the best the host can do is plug along, keeping a sense of humor, and if possible, have compassion for this person who is caught like a deer in the limelight. This is not a place for a Charley Rose kind of interview. Some hosts are better than others at this. For me, CF does better than most in this.
I know that not everyone will feel this way- tastes differ, and we all prefer what is familiar while stretching the boundaries of the status quo. But for me, at this time in life, he embodies what I value and treasure-authenticity, playfulness, eclectic intelligence, emotional honesty, an attitude of exploration and experimentation, and a deeply grounded nature that makes the far-out adventures believable and meaningful. He is a friendly and capable guide that I trust, and I am willing to follow him wherever his wicked humor takes him.

[carol]

I just finished the book, Between the bridge and the river. I enjoyed it so much,I didnt want it to end. Ive read the you are planning the next book.I will be looking forward to reading it.
Thank you

[Lala]

You are RIGHT ON! Craig absolutely exemplifies everything a talk show host should be! I was a devoted Letterman fan for years and then, early 2006-ish, I began watching the Late Late Show as a default to get to Scrubs:) I fell in love with the entire show~ the process, the unique style, the tell-it-like-it-is & bow to no one attitude ~ that makes Craig a comic and media genius. As far as I am concerned, Craig IS the new king of latenight. Thank you for posting this for Craig~ he deserves it! GO CRAIG!

Craig Ferguson has pulled me away from Conan O'Brien. I was a big fan of Conan, but it is my humble option that his show has never recovered from Andy Richter's departure back in 2000. I never thought O'Brien was good at establishing a repore with the audience, but having a talent like Richter around to fill the dead air more than made up for it. Now that Richter is gone, we are subjected to lame skit after skit right after O'Brien sits down. How many more times do we have to see those computer generated pics of 2 celebrities in that "What if these 2 stars made a baby" skit? "Year 2000" is the only thing I look forward to any more.

I like Ferguson, his interviewing skills are far superior to O'Brien's. His monologues take getting used to, they don't garner big laughs from big home-run punchlines, but they are never dull, and I find myself looking forward to what he has to say. His humor sometimes teeters on being cheesy/hokey at times but he engages the audience in a way that Conan has never been able to do.

So, I'm converted to the Ferguson brand.

[Monika Grill]

I watched O'Brien way back a couple of times, and thought he was different and interesting and really clever. At that time, the other Craig was still hosting the LLS, and while I started out thinking that he was a bit too laid back and sophmoric, I ended up liking him much better, because he was more real and human. As to O'Brien, I quickly came to realize that everything he does is an attempt to prove how clever and different he is.Its like performance art- the first time it surprises you, and that makes it fun and wonderful. If you run into the same act again and again, it simply becomes tiring and abrasive. That man can not do a single interview without falling back onto one of his oh so clever mannerisms, even when there is no place for it.
It's a pity, really, because I watched him on Charley Rose, and when he is not trying to be a performer, he is a thoughtful, smart, interesting, and very likable guy.
Over the long run, the only thing that holds up is what is real, and what is an authentic expression of yourself. That's why Johnny Carson was great, and stayed great. And I think that's why Ferguson is great and will stay great.

[burl]

Craig Ferguson is terrible. His comedy is lame and unexciting and he attempts to mask it with a "what do I care" type attitude. He has NOTHING to say and in an arena of Late Night television, where experimentation should rule the day, he tries nothing. All do respect, I think you are WAY off the mark in your praise of him. Better praise others who attempt comedy and originality and fail, than those who attempt nothing at all.

Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and even Conan have points of view, Ferguson says “cheeky monkeys”. I’m not impressed.

[Carol]

I simply love Craig Ferguson. He along with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert make me laugh out loud and often - that doesn't happen with Letterman or Leno. I just love his monolog and if I can't stay up late I will Tivo the show for the next day and therefore never miss watching him. I was very impressed with his discussion of celebrities in need of help and understand that if we didn't buy the magazines and watch the celebrity shows - there would no longer be a career for the papparazzi who make their living photographing the sad plights of celebrities. Good job Mr. Ferguson.

[Anyte]

I am so glad I found a place where most people think the way I do about the wonderful Craig Ferguson!! He is the only good thing late night. Leno and Letterman are stale,they are "walking through it", or should I say sleep walking thru it. They could just as well phone it in. Conan is funny, but just doesn't have the charisma and charm of CF. Craig Ferguson is very funny, entertaining, and seems like a nice guy. And as some women think, me included, the guy has sex appeal! Oh, as for Jimmy Kimmel - give me a break - sorry, but the guy never did anything for me - glad he has his girlfriend.

[Blondie]

Craig has everyone beat, hands down.
Conan is a dud. I have never enjoyed his dippy humor. I try, after 5 minutes, I can't stand it. Dave is ready for the armchair and Jay is bored out of his head. His interviewing skills are a big snooze.
I stay up two hours past my bedtime, just to hear Craig's monologue and accent. His Prince Charles is hysterical. (Camilla winning at the dog show, bad, bad but funny).

[Pixeleen]

One night I couldn't sleep so I thought I'd tune in the Late Late Show and see if Craig Kilborne could put me to sleep. (Would never consider that buffoon, O'Brien). What a delightful surprise I got when I saw a "new" Craig standing there delivering the wittiest, laugh-out-loud kind of monologue heretofore unseen in late night comedy. Ever since, I have either tuned in or taped his show because I don't want to miss a minute of this man. Craig Ferguson can teach all the other ne'er-do-wells of late night a thing or two. He is urbane, so expressive, truly funny and intelligent. What a refreshing combination to see someone who has a theme to his monologue instead of a bunch of lame one-liners that just make you groan. I will never tire of Craig. He is truly the "laird" of late night and I am so happy I couldn't sleep that night. He truly cares about his guests and what they have to say and while he receives many compliments from them, he quickly changes the subject back to them which shows me just how humble he really is. What a package! He's witty, intelligent, sentimental (great tribute to his father), so funny and clever and devastatingly handsome. If he doesn't inherit Letterman's time slot there is something wrong!

[dee]

craig ferguson is much better than jay leno or conan o'brien. they are not good interviewers and jay leno makes fun of everyone and has the same guests on over and over, probably because nobody wants to go on his show because he makes fun of most celebrities. also, he repeats the same jokes all week. conan is too silly, although i like the talking mouths segments. craig is very friendly with his guests and makes them feel comfortable. he is a fresh face to late night and very funny, handsome and i love the Scottish accent. keep it up, craig!

[GreenDayRules]

Craig is so brilliant. He beats all of those other guys.

[Amethyst]

I discovered LLS last december during winter break and completely fell in love with him. I couldn't see his show when I went back to school and it left me miserable and humorless. But now that I'm back home for the summer, I have not missed a single minute of Craig! I just really wish CBS would play reruns in the daytime.
Actually, I had just finished writing a "Top 10 Reasons" list for why he's my favorite late night talk show host myself and decided to do more research on the man when I came across your blog. You are absolutely right about Craig Ferguson! Craig's spontaneity is something I think most comedians would die for. His unscripted monologues show it off extremely well. I don't know of ANY other talk show host, or even professional comedians, who would dare walk out onto the stage with a mere outline/topic of their monologue. Also, Craig has none of those annoying little blue cards! I hate it when talk show hosts just look down and read off of them.

Ferguson sucks - all the "fans" on this board work for his show, otherwise they're paid posters

[Steve Kahn]

I'm so glad to see that others are noticing what I am about Craig. I have never been a fan of late night talk shows - mainly due to the flaws that you pointed out in your opening. Ferguson does genuinely appear to enjoy what he's doing. Every night you feel as though you're getting a whole stand up routine during his monlogue. When I watch other hosts deliver their jokes, I envision a team of writers pouring over material and coldly deciding what's gonna work - and then the host delivers without really making it their own. Ferguson to me is real. He's not afraid to be silly and be all over the place.

[OutOfContext]

I have not watched a late talk show regularly since 80's Letterman, until I saw Ferguson a few weeks back. Now the DVR catches him every night. Very Eddie Izzard. Very Funny. As for branding, that's outside my ken and it's early for me to tell how well he will wear over time, but he makes me laugh and seems very comfortable while he does it.

[Millie]

Craig is something special in talk show hosts.
While doing his monologue, which is so funny I laugh out loud, you get a view of his soul. He is a sensitive, caring person who had the courage to change his life for the better and become a star.
I truly admire him and wish him the best of life. He deserves it.
Millie