Brands get in on NBA Finals buzz as fan excitement ramps up
With the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder in full swing, brands are getting in on the excitement.
Athletes and sporting events have become a major play for consumer brands trying to cut through the noise and stay relevant. Whether it’s through participating in memes, sponsoring athletes, or running promotions and giveaways, brands want to tap into adrenaline-filled moments. Case in point: the 2025 NBA playoffs and finals, in which both major companies like Chipotle as well as emerging brands like Lemon Perfect are capitalizing on the fans’ excitement.
Michelob Ultra, an official global partner of the NBA, is doing giveaways as part of its sponsorship this season. Starting with Game 2 of the finals, the beer brand is giving away prizes during each quarter that include a signed basketball and NBA Draft tickets.
Even beverage startups are getting in on the action this NBA season.
About three weeks ago, Lemon Perfect noticed the buzz build as the New York Knicks’ playoffs run was heating up. The company quickly launched its “Perfect Play” campaign, which kicked off after the Knicks won Game 1 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The way the promotion works is this: When a team achieves a game-changing shot or performance, Lemon Perfect surprises fans with offers including free bottles and BOGO specials through its website. For a chance to win, customers can follow the brand’s Instagram and watch for the highlight moments that trigger a flash sale.
Lemon Perfect’s marketing director, Jess Indemaio, told Modern Retail that the concept was conceived of just a couple of weeks ago. It came from the brand’s publicist, who pitched the idea of using the “Perfect Play” sports concept as a play on the brand’s name.
“Because our founder was an NCAA basketball coach, we thought this community-building campaign fit right in,” Indemaio said, in reference to Lemon Perfect’s CEO, Yanni Hufnagel. She said the campaign was also “an easy plug and play” because many customers are already familiar with the brand’s relationship with athletes. The brand has several investors who are current and former NBA stars, including Channing Frye and Nick Young, among others.
The new campaign also comes on the heels of Lemon Perfect’s rollout of a brand refresh and recipe reformulation. “This was about re-engaging our consumers, whether they love basketball or not, on who we are and what we look like,” Indemaio said.
The DTC sale started off with a BOGO offer. “Then we moved to a buy-two, get-two-free [offer],” she said. That addition has driven additional traffic to the brand’s website in recent days. The campaign is being shared on Lemon Perfect’s social media platforms and with its SMS marketing list, Indemaio said. “So anyone who subscribed is seeing it.”
“We’ve done about 226 redemptions [of the offer], and we’re at a little over $12,000 in sales so far,” Indemaio said, noting that the brand has run four SMS blasts and five social posts dedicated to the campaign.
While the Perfect Play promotion is driving customers to Lemon Perfect’s website, the company is trying to use it thoughtfully during the finals. “We’re not running it during every single playoff game — just when something really amazing happens, or when there’s a ‘perfect play,’” Indemaio said.
The NBA finals have spurred a number of brands to run promotions, in time for the summer period.
Earlier this month, Chipotle also announced an NBA finals campaign, which is running alongside its “Summer of Extras” promotions. The fast casual chain is also running a promotion called “Instant Freeplays” during the NBA Finals — it started with Game 2 on June 8.
The way the promotion works is this: Every time one of the team’s coaches challenges a play during the series, Chipotle’s X account will share a post for fans to review. The fans are then challenged to uncover a keyword hidden in the X post. The first 5,000 fans who text the company the correct keyword win a free Chipotle entrée.
“Having the game come to a halt and watching referees review a play over and over again is rarely enjoyable,” said Chris Brandt, Chipotle’s chief brand officer. “We want fans to have fun throughout the game, so we are offering a chance to score free Chipotle during coach’s challenge reviews.”
The Instant Freeplays promo builds on the other campaigns Chipotle ran during the NBA playoffs in recent years, including last year’s “Free Throws, Free Codes” and its “Freepointer” campaign in 2023. Those respective promos gave away codes for free Chipotle entrées when free throws and three-pointers were made during the playoffs. The campaigns have been part of Chipotle’s larger strategy to tap into sports fandom as a marketing play. During the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs earlier this year, the chain brought back its popular BOGO entrée promotion.
More and more, brands are using sporting events to do official or proximity marketing to capture fan excitement. This has become a popular tactic during big events like the Super Bowl and even college sports tournaments.
Anjali Bal, associate professor of marketing at Babson College, said today’s consumers are highly invested in sporting events, which makes them prime moments for marketing campaigns.
“Adrenaline and psychological responses are high,” Bal said. “When you tie this to team loyalty and the desire to belong, consumers are more open to messaging and brands that align with their values and their teams.”
Often, brands capitalize on this through real-time engagement during sporting events, Bal said. Examples include running social media polls, doing real time sweepstakes and ramping up live social media engagements. “During the NBA finals, we have seen this from companies like Adidas, which have agreements with athletes,” she said. The same is true of companies that have sponsorship or partnership agreements with the NBA.
Bal pointed to some of her favorite recent sports-related marketing plays. One example was 7-Eleven’s “Emotional Support Pizza” giveaway during the Super Bowl earlier this year, when the convenience chain provided free pizza for the losing team. “This [2024] Door Dash campaign was also awesome for playing off of all the Super Bowl ads,” she said.
However brands want to capitalize on sports moments, Bal said, it has to come across as authentic for fans.
For Lemon Perfect, the “Perfect Play” promotion is a test run for launching future sports-related marketing campaigns.
“We have a lot of investors who are in the NBA, so we were hoping to tie this back to some of them at some point,” Indemaio said. “But for us, it’s really all about being tied to everything that’s culturally relevant right now.”