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Ads about nothing?
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April 8, 1998: 8:58 a.m. ET
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is considering starting his own ad agency
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld is bowing out of his self-named NBC show about nothing and is apparently looking to apply that lack of content to advertising.
Seinfeld's last show is May 14 and he is thinking about starting his own boutique advertising agency as part of his post-TV life, according to an upcoming Vanity Fair article.
Seinfeld has worked in advertising from the inside out, appearing in commercials for American Express cards. Most recently, the comic teamed up with Superman to tout the charge card.
Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, the advertising agency handling the American Express commercials, told the New York Times that Seinfeld was heavily involved in the creation of those commercials and a spokeswoman said the agency "thinks highly of his creative talent."
Within his show, Seinfeld has also showed a deft hand at putting products on the lips of many consumers. Brands such as Snapple beverages, J. Peterman apparel, Junior Mints, various cereals, among others, have gotten a boost as Seinfeld worked them into his shows.
Seinfeld's "soup Nazi" character, based on a New York soup restaurant, has even spurred the idea for several restaurant chains whose main product is soup.
Indeed, Michael Dweck, president of the Dweck & Campbell advertising agency, said Seinfeld himself has become somewhat of a brand and would probably do well in the industry.
"Advertising is the quintessential sitcom," Dweck told the Times. "The love affairs with clients, the breakups, the coming back together again and, of course, the constant reruns."
As for advertising on his final show, NBC, a unit of General Electric Co. (GE), is charging $1.5 million to $2 million for each 30-second commercial, not that there's anything wrong with that.
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