This week we continue the tradition of recapping the most notable brands spending on advertising across ad tech platforms, consumer media and B2B industries. And, of course, this is all styled after the most involved carol out there: the 12 Days of Christmas. 

On the third day of Christmas, MediaRadar sent to me:

12 Engines Revving,
11 Boxes Shipping,
10 Brands a-Sponsoring,
9 Pharmas Placing,
8 Planes a-Flying,
7 Banks a-Buyin’,
6 DSPs Distributing,
5 Onion Riiiiings!,
4 Rolling Tractors,
3 Sofa Beds,
2 Podcast Ads (that’s today!),
And a ???

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Today is the second to last day for our favorite annual series. It’s fitting, then, that we look at a formerly niche advertising format that continues to gain popularity for B2B and consumer brands alike: podcasts. 

From looking at why brands like podcasts for direct response advertising to why Spotify invested in podcasting player Gimlet, MediaRadar has spent quite a bit of time looking at the promise and power of podcast advertising. In fact, in January of this year we wrote that 2019 was going to be a big year for audio. 

Looking for more? See who is buying podcast ads — and their holistic ad strategy — with MediaRadar Podcasts. 

The Interactive Advertising Bureau estimated that brands spent nearly $700 million on podcast advertising in 2019 — and that number is expected to grow to over $1 billion two years from now. 

Instead of taking the broad view of podcast advertising, we want to look at two instances of how consumer advertising can do particularly well within the podcast format. 

Leesa Sleep Runs an Ad on Comedy Bang! Bang!

Comedy Bang! Bang! Host Scott Aukerman is known for irreverant and sometimes cringe-inducing humor, with shows like Mr. Show and Between Two Ferns. His podcast, then, is a perfect case study for just how informal and effective podcast ads can be. 

In one recent spot, the podcast is advertising DTC mattress company Leesa Sleep. Like with most podcast promotions, ads on the comedy show are read out by the host. “Leesa believes that a bed is also a place for relaxation and rest,” Aukerman begins, before going off script. “Sounds like that’s a subcategory falling under ‘place to sleep’, in my opinion. But, hey, Leesa you’re the boss and you can write whatever copy you want.” 

Aukerman also includes a detailed description of each mattress offering, using phrases like “perfect combination” and “Leesa’s mission.” But the draw of the podcast spot is that the host continues to sprinkle in personality: at one point he reads out that the mattress features “cooling LSA-200 foam… whatever that is.” 

The riffed promo leads into a typical podcast ad offering: a specialized Comedy Bang! Bang! landing page designed to both track ROI for the brand and provide additional revenue for the podcast. 

“I have a Leesa mattress, I sleep on it every night,” Aukerman concludes. “I never take a night off and just stand in a corner.”

Charmin Runs an Ad on The Ron Burgundy Podcast

Hosted by Will Ferrell in character as Ron Burgundy, this podcast combines comedy with late night style conversations with real celebrities. It makes sense as a forum for consumer advertisers — like Procter & Gamble’s Charmin toilet paper, for example. 

Burgundy (Ferrell) Reads out his ads in character:

“Ron Burgundy here to tell you about two kinds of toilet paper that are sweeping the nation: Charmin Ultra Soft and Charmin Ultra Strong. One is soft and the other is strong. One reminds you of a baby puppy, the other reminds you of the great American buffalo. The strong one is for really doing the job. The soft one? Well, let’s just say it’s for the love of softness. I like both! I keep about 800 to 1,000 rolls of both kinds of toilet paper in my house in case of emergencies. You never know when 800 people might stop by.” 

It’s silly, it’s simple — and it’s exactly the kind of thing that will stick in listeners’ heads for quite awhile.