NBA CMO on its creator strategy, global marketing and season-opening campaign

The possibilities inherent in basketball’s tip-off are at the heart of this year’s season-opening campaign from the NBA, which shows fans, influencers, and celebrities stampeding a court full of NBA superstars as Van Halen’s “Jump” serves as the soundtrack. While the ad from Translation conveys the energy, fun and optimism of a new season, it can also be viewed as a dramatic manifestation of the NBA’s marketing strategy. The league is telling a story of a diverse and far-flung fan base—particularly Gen Z and multicultural—that’s growing through outreach to cultural groups, partnerships with creators and targeted ads starring charismatic athletes. “It feels on-brand,” said Tammy Henault, the NBA’s chief marketing officer. About one-quarter of NBA fans are Gen Z (those turning 12 to 27 this year) and around half are multicultural, Henault said. The league’s aim is to tell compelling stories that can resonate globally and foster fan loyalty, Henault said. “We’re spending a lot of time talking about, how do we continue to make sure we’re speaking to those audiences and growing those audiences, and getting more of those audiences to view the live game and tune in?” Henault said. “And so we tried to wrap this spot with a lot of these elements to appeal to them, and lean into humor, which we know really captures a broad audience's attention.” The NBA season begins Oct. 22. Storylines coming into the year include the momentum of ascendant teams like the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder; the Boston Celtics’ defense of their NBA crown; year two of French sensation Victor Wembanyama; and the pairing of NBA legend LeBron James and his rookie son Bronny James on the Los Angeles Lakers. There may be behind-the-scenes drama as well, as a media rights lawsuit by Warner Bros. Discovery plays out. The parent of TNT, which has broadcast NBA games for decades, was bid out of the 11-year, $76 billion media rights package with Disney (ABC and ESPN), Comcast (NBC and Peacock) and Amazon that begins next year. The NBA has filed a motion to dismiss. Building on momentum Last year was marked by the introduction of the In-Season Tournament, a soccer-style cup event embedded into the schedule meant to draw fans—and players—deeper into early-season action. That event—already considered a new NBA tentpole—is back this year with a title sponsor (it will be known as the Emirates NBA Cup). It was also a banner season for NBA content consumption, with the highest regular-season viewership in four years across ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV; and a record 26 billion video views across NBA social media platforms and the NBA app, a 22% increase from the 2022-2023 season, the league said. The league is looking to hook fans even sooner this year, in part by building off storylines from the Summer Olympics, Henault said. Several players featured in the NBA’s new ad were competing in Paris, including Wembanyama (France), Luka Dončić (Slovenia) and Team USA players Anthony Edwards, Bam Adebayo and Jayson Tatum. Kawhi Leonard, also featured in the ad, withdrew from the team weeks before the Games. A-List & Creativity Awards Enter for a chance to be recognized as the best in advertising Submit your entry here The NBA is getting its creative to work harder. The media buy includes broadcast, digital, audio and out-of-home, with commercial cutdowns tailored for various audiences including female and older viewers. The ad will run in 214 countries and in 12 languages, reflecting the sport’s growing global appeal and makeup, the NBA said: the 2023-24 season featured 125 international players from 40 countries. And around 80% of NBA’s digital media content is consumed internationally. The league has been tailoring its ads this way since the NBA Finals campaign in 2023, but aspires to do more, Henault said, particularly internationally. The NBA has used local voiceovers or local talent to make cameos in some ads. Preseason games are scheduled in Abu Dhabi on Oct. 4 and 6 and regular-season contests will take place in Paris and in Mexico City this year. “I would love to not only see these campaigns hit globally, but also be able to tailor specific campaigns to each region in each market,” Henault said. “But we don’t necessarily have the bandwidth or resources to do dedicated campaigns for every single market.” Creator strategy The crowd shown rushing onto the court in the new ad is meant to represent the breadth of NBA fans young and old, along with cameos from singer Kelly Rowland and young creators Kai Cenat and Drew Afualo. Cenat also stars in a new McDonald's campaign for its Chicken Big Mac. Henault said the NBA is investing more into its creator strategy this year to broaden its reach. More news: Creator and influencer trends to know about The NBA has opened up its tentpole events and other media opportunities—such as the NBA Cup, the All-Star Game and team media days—for creators to act as correspondents on-site. The league also hosts events featuring basketball creators like the Creator Cup game held as part of last year’s NBA Cup, which returns this season. It’s adding two new competitions this season at the All-Star Game and Summer League. The events feature creators with basketball skills and connections, like the trick-shot artist Tristan Jass. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tristan Jass (@tristanj22) The arrangement provides creators a bigger stage, increasing their reach for their next partnership with the league. “It’s adjacent to the content we’re creating every day to promote the NBA,” Bob Carney, the league’s senior VP of digital and social content, said of creators’ content. “And so it creates this really healthy ecosystem between the league and the creators that are telling the story of our league every day.” The awareness campaign will be interwoven with ads promoting specific games and broadcasts as the season approaches. The NBA will also begin an awareness campaign for digital assets on the NBA app—League Pass, the direct-to-consumer streaming package; and NBAID, a loyalty and engagement program.

NBA CMO on its creator strategy, global marketing and season-opening campaign

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