• by Karl Greenberg , September 15, 2015

Used car retailer CarMax, Inc. has launched multi-year partnerships with three top NFL and NCAA teams, making CarMax the official used car retailer of the NFL’s reigning Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, and the NCAA’s Minnesota Golden Gophers. The company, also a sponsoring partner of the Denver Broncos, is continuing that relationship for the 2015-16 season as well. 

CarMax CMO Jim Lyski said in a statement that the key to sponsorship power is team loyalty. “These teams are an integral part of their communities and are proven to drive brand awareness and affinity for their partners.” 

The company says the partnerships include branding within each team’s stadium and surrounding footprints, as well as media, digital and social elements throughout the season. At Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots, CarMax will be the first brand ever to be showcased on its bridge and lighthouse. CarMax said the company supported the expansion of the project to four times its current size. 

CarMax said community-based efforts will be central. With the Denver Broncos the company will build a local playground; it will be involved in a Military Appreciation Day with the Gophers; and around the Patriots partnership it will do community initiatives throughout the 2015 season. 

One of those efforts is part of a multi-market program called “The Bright Side of Game Day.” In New England, for example, CarMax is hosting a contest to spotlight local heroes who bring the “bright side” to their communities through volunteer work. The campaign lets people in those markets nominate people who will then have a chance to win a VIP Patriots package including tickets to a home game, on-field recognition and a $10,000 donation to the nonprofit of their choice. CarMax and the Patriots will honor eight local heroes with a total of $80,000 in donations made to the New England community. 

In Denver and Minnesota, the promotion will involve Instagram, where fans will post photos showing how they are enjoying the Bright Side of Game Day for a chance to win VIP packages to home games. 

CarMax's choice of NFL teams isn't happenstance. The company says it is preparing to open its first three Boston-area stores this year and next. It opened its first store in Minnesota earlier this year, and will open a second area store this fall. CarMax says it has had a presence in the Denver market since 2008 and now has a total of five locations there.