• by Tanya Gazdik , February 17, 2023

Brands are planning a variety of marketing activations related to sponsorship of the NBA All-Star Weekend, which begins today and concludes with the 72nd annual NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City on Sunday.

Hennessy -- the Spirit of the NBA, WNBA and G League -- is launching interactive consumer touch points to celebrate basketball culture beyond the court, including a digital integration with a Naismith Hall of Famer, a performance by superstar Latto, as well as NBA-themed Hennessy cocktails. 

The brand is taking over the Edison House in Salt Lake City, transforming it into the Hennessy Arena for an invite-only experience. Fans can also  create their own digital courts from their homes by visiting www.hennessy-arena.com beginning Feb. 18. 

Hennessy is launching new NBA creative, “Unshattered,”  on broadcast, along with in-arena, social, radio, and digital ad placements. 

AT&T, the official 5G innovation partner of the NBA, is bringing its expertise in connectivity to moments during NBA All-Star, including an interactive and customizable AR game featuring NBA stars Paul George and Vince Carter.

A one-of-a-kind view of AT&T Slam Dunk enlists Shaquille O’Neal as a cameraman, using a new dual-faced powered camera to simultaneously capture the dunks and his real-time reactions to them. 

The AT&T Pregame Concert, with performances by headliner The Kid LAROI and BIA, is available live and via an interactive livestream experience powered by AT&T 5G Concert Lens, which lets fans at home choose from a number of exclusive angles streamed directly from 5G connected Google Pixel 7 Pro phones.

Finally, Ruffles -- the Official Chip of the NBA and WNBA -- is bringing together innovative flavors and big personalities in a new TV commercial starring NBA legend Charles Barkley.

Barkley is the brand’s honorary "Chip Deal Athlete" – joining current Chip Deal Athletes LeBron James, Jayson Tatum and A'ja Wilson, who are also featured in the campaign.

Ruffles create a one-time only release of Barkley’s favorite culinary flavor. Ruffles Hot Dog-flavored potato chips will drop in highly limited quantities during NBA All-Star Weekend.

The commercial, which will premiere during NBA All-Star 2023, depicts Barkley selecting a Ruffles flavor at a vending machine as James, Tatum and Wilson each come to life on their own Ruffles chip bags and "full-court press" him to choose their respective flavor.

As the official automotive partner of the NBA, Kia America is providing basketball fans with an interactive experience that includes a free throw shooting game, on-site vehicle displays, and appearances by NBA players.

Dubbed the “Kia NBA Crossover,” the activation was inspired by Kia’s  campaign “Legends of the Driveway.”  It was developed by David&Goliath to celebrate the place where many basketball fans and players first fell in love with the game: the driveway.