• December 21, 2010

BBVA Group is launching its "Official Bank of the NBA" status with its first NBA-themed advertising campaign called "TEAM. WORKS." on Christmas Day. The TV spot will air during the NBA's five nationally televised games scheduled on Dec. 25, which the league says is one of the most-viewed day of games during the season on ABC and ESPN.

The spot, via Austin, Tex.-based GSD&M Idea City is meant to extoll team strategy with footage of players making slam dunks, no-look passes and enjoying having made a well coordinated play. The global bank, which markets in the U.S. as BBVA Compass, has 382 branches in Texas, 92 in Alabama, 65 in California, 77 in Arizona, 45 in Florida, 36 in Colorado and 20 in New Mexico.

The Christmas Day games on ESPN include Chicago Bulls versus the New York Knicks; then ABC's coverage of the rematch of the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals featuring the Orlando Magic and the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat versus the Los Angeles Lakers. Then that night ESPN carries the Denver Nuggets versus Oklahoma City Thunder and Portland Trail Blazers versus the Golden State Warriors.

The partnership also gives BBVA Compass title sponsorship of the NBA mobile tour a road show comprising 6,000 square feet of basketball activities, NBA video games, video wall with NBA game footage, and BBVA Compass product and service information. The tour starts next Spring the bank's U.S. retail footprint in the Sunbelt: Albuquerque, Birmingham, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Jacksonville, Phoenix, the Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio and a city in California yet to be determined, according to the NBA.