There are many things that are known about former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning — that he spent 14 years as a professional player, that he’s a five time Most Valuable Player, and has won two Super Bowls — but what most people might not be aware of is that he’s fascinated with that past.
“I think if you ask my mother or any of my teachers growing up, they would tell you that history was always one of my favorite subjects, so I guess you could say I’ve always been a little bit of a history buff,” he reveals.
Manning’s affection for history is now coming in handy as he’s executing producing the series The Mega-Brands That Built America.
The series explores the surprising origin stories behind some of the world’s biggest brands including Home Depot, Levi’s, Apple, Kodak, Amazon, Target and more.
Blending archival footage, original recreations, and expert interviews, the nonfiction series offers captivating portrayals of the most iconic brands across retail, electronics, automobiles, and more, with a focus on their trailblazing founders whose ingenuity, passion, and fearlessness created groundbreaking innovations that revolutionized our nation.
The Mega-Brands That Built America is produced by Omaha Productions and Lucky 8 for The History Channel.
PARIS, FRANCE - JULY 26: Peyton Manning attends the red carpet ahead of the opening ceremony of the ... More Olympic Games Paris 2024 on July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Getty Images
Describing his role in the series, Manning admits, “I am not front and center of and that’s something that I really like. I like being part of a show that I’m not the quarterback, if you will. You’ll see me pop up here and there, but we have historians, professors, journalists, and the entrepreneurs guiding the viewer throughout the series, and those experts really teach the lesson in each episode, my role would be more of the everyday consumer. I talk about how I interact with these brands and products in my everyday life.”
However, this isn’t to say that Manning isn’t doing the behind-the-scenes work. "I generally like to help with the guest booking, join on the pitch meetings, and I watch the rough cuts and kind of give my two cents and thoughts where I can help. [Now]
, they might take my suggestions a little more seriously on an NFL show then on a country music show or a military show, but I like giving my thoughts and helping out wherever I can.”
He quickly adds, “But I also like the fact that [this series] has people smarter than me, that are experts in this space, that know what’s best and what’s going to make a great show. So we have a good collaborative team."
Manning says that he’s learned a lot working on the series, but one of the things about a brand that he found particularly interesting is that, “In the late 1990’s there was a new Home Depot opening every 53 hours in the continental United States. That’s pretty fascinating to me. We’re all so familiar with a big brand like Home Depot, but it just wasn't around 40 years ago, so I thought that was cool.”
Along these lines, Manning points out about the series that, “I promise that you’ll learn something new in every episode. We’re all familiar with names like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos today, but the show really takes viewers to the early days of these huge companies and how they built their businesses. And, it's great to watch as a family. My kids watch it. They learn something. My wife and I learn something. It's a good show to watch with your family”
He feels that The Mega-Brands That Built America is timely as well, saying, “This show is so topical because we interact with these brands every single day in our day to day lives.”
While he may be known for his on-field accomplishments, in this case Manning is happy to be, in a sense, a bit more on the sidelines, as he concludes, “I love being a part of shows that are outside of sports, and one of the core tenants at Omaha Productions is that we want to champion hard work, and that is exactly what this series is all about. We’re celebrating the hard work of all the people behind the scenes at these huge brands that have literally built America.”
‘The Mega-Brands That Built America’ airs Sundays at 10/9c on the History Channel and episodes are available for streaming the next day atHistory.com.