‘And Just Like That’ Companion Series Features Genesis Tie-In As WBD Ad Sales Hits The Gas On IP Strategy

EXCLUSIVE: If you’re an And Just Like That fan who wants the consumption to be a little more conspicuous, Warner Bros. Discovery is rolling out a branded companion series with the spinoff’s Season 3 premiere.

The show, called Behind the Look, will debut on Max (soon rebranding back to HBO Max), with weekly episodes dropping in the “Extras” tab on the show page. With weekly episodes corresponding with the looks in each episode of the main series, Behind the Look will prominently feature a Genesis SUV as part of an ad sales sponsorship deal between WBD and the automaker.

Costume designer Molly Rogers and writer-EP Michael Patrick King conceived of the companion show, which will feature members of the cast and crew talking about the Sex and the City spinoff’s fashions. WBD is touting it as the first “editorially driven, sponsored companion series” delving into the show’s styles.

The new season of And Just Like That premieres May 29.

The companion show is of a piece with WBD’s Storyverse, an effort to leverage the company’s overall IP portfolio and make it more accessible to brands. Execs unveiled the initiative, which has already borne fruit with a State Farm Batman ad and a couple of other mash-ups, at last week’s upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. Like its traditional media peers now emphasizing streaming, WBD is facing pressure from declining linear tune-in and advertising revenue and is looking to emphasize integration deals, as it has engineered for The White Lotus and The Penguin.

As part of the latest sponsorship, Rogers drove a Genesis GV80 Coupe for six months, both on and off set, according to WBD. Her time behind the wheel “inspired a deep admiration for the brand and made the partnership feel instantly organic,” the company said.

Episodes will show her driving the Genesis on shopping expeditions with co-designer Danny Santiago, meeting designers and attending fittings.

“The costume design in And Just Like That is an integral and iconic part of the show and perfectly mirrors the effortless style and luxury of Genesis vehicles,” said Twyla Huang-DiSimone, SVP of Brand Strategy and Solutions for WBD. “Behind The Look shines a well-deserved light on the amazing talent and impeccable skills of our creatives who set fashion trends by establishing the look of the series.”

Amy Marentic, CMO of Genesis Motor America, called the team-up a “natural fit” given that the automaker’s brand has long centered on “elevated, iconic design.”