• by Tanya Gazdik , August 19, 2020

First Entertainment Credit Union and the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers are launching a debit card in conjunction with a multiyear brand sponsorship between the two entities. 

The partnership, announced in the spring, aims to connect First Entertainment members to exclusive experiences with the 16-time NBA championship team. First Entertainment is promoting the card via a video featuring Lakers players on Instagram.

Separately, First Entertainment and Lakers power forward Anthony Davis entered into an individual arrangement in March, when Davis stepped into the role of the institution’s first official brand ambassador with an ad campaign and TV spot titled “All Dreams Apply Here.” 

Davis and First Entertainment designed a first-look Limited-Edition Lakers Kit that will be randomly awarded to individuals who enter a First Entertainment/Lakers sponsored sweepstakes. The kits are inspired by those Davis and First Entertainment gave to each team member of the Lakers for the return of the 2019-2020 NBA season. 

The card will be available starting in September. First Entertainment members can sign up for the First Entertainment Lakers Debit Card at FirstEnt.org/Lakers.

The debit card pushes the financial institution in the direction of a lifestyle and entertainment brand, says Amondo Redmond, chief marketing officer at First Entertainment Credit Union.

“Further establishing the relationship between the Lakers organization and First Entertainment is an endeavor we don’t take lightly, especially in a time when we’re missing events that have long played a critical part in creating a sense of community and home for Lakers fans,”  Redmond says in a release. 

First Entertainment and the Lakers also plan to launch initiatives aimed at educating students and young adults on the importance of financial literacy and responsibility.