• by Karl Greenberg , February 16, 2011

Right Guard is boosting its Hispanic-market efforts and celebrating its 50th anniversary as part of its new sponsorship deal with the National Basketball Association. The Henkel-owned brand will be both the Official Deodorant of the National Basketball Association, and presenting partner of Noche Latina (Latin Night) 2011. The brand first signed a multi-year deal with the NBA in 2008.

Noche Latina, now presented by Right Guard, is central to the NBA's "éne•bé•a" Spanish-language platform. The effort focuses on the NBA's Hispanic players and includes national telecasts, and in-arena festivities. Television broadcasts around Noche Latina are on English- and Spanish-language media and the NBA's own Spanish-language Web site, www.enebear.com, and social media pages.

Noche Latina, which launched during the 2006-07 NBA season, features uniforms that display the team name as it is pronounced in colloquial Spanish ("El Heat" for the Miami Heat, for example).

This year's program actually started last weekend with the All-Star 2011game in Los Angeles with Right Guard sponsoring a party featuring Dominican singer songwriter Vicente Garcia, music by Miami Heat's DJ Irie, and appearances by NBA players, NBA legends, and Hispanic celebrities. As part of the 50th anniversary of the brand, Right Guard screened past campaigns.

The next series of Noche Latina events will be in March and involve street teams in Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix, Dallas, Chicago, San Antonio, Orlando, and New York. The teams will hit local and community events in the eight cities with contests and samples of Right Guard products.

Said NBA Senior Director of Hispanic Marketing Saskia Sorrosa: "This partnership will extend what has historically been a month-long celebration into six full weeks of events that will bring the excitement of the NBA to Hispanic fans in ways that are culturally relevant."

The league will sell "Noche Latina" merchandise, such as the Spanish-language game jerseys that are made by Adidas at Champs Sports retail stores, online at NBAStore.com, and at in-arena stores for participating teams.

As part of its NBA activity last year, Right Guard launched its Right Guard Total Defense 5 line of products with ads featuring New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, who first signed a long-term deal with Right Guard when the initial partnership was signed in 2008. At that time, Right Guard also became third founding partner of the NBA's new youth basketball initiative, iHoops.