A 2026 NBA champion not only just invested in
a growing salad chain, but also stars in its first campaign.
Just Salad, the 125-unit fast-causal chain, recently teamed up with New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson for its
“New York Always Knew” creative platform. Brunson isn’t just a fan; he’s also a partner and equity owner in Just Salad.
The campaign highlights the instinct needed for
“spotting the real thing early,” drawing a comparison between “the guests who knew Just Salad was onto something back when it was a single storefront, and the fans who knew Brunson
was something special well before everyone else caught on.”
The hero spot for the New York-based chain, seen here, is filmed in
a documentary-style format, with fans interviewed inside a Just Salad location. When an interviewer asks the New Yorkers to name their favorite athlete, all enthusiastically respond with “Jalen
Brunson!” and detail his accomplishments, as the viewer sees Brunson himself in the background, in line to get his own salad, overhearing the praise. “Real New Yorkers know,” says
Brunson, as he takes a seat to eat.
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“Just Salad fans have believed in this brand since long before we had 125 locations to point to,” said Jen Lally, CMO of Just Salad.
“Jalen’s fans have that same instinct — the pride of recognizing greatness before everyone else caught on. New York is the heart of this campaign, but that feeling of seeing
something special early, and knowing you were part of it from the start, is universal.”
The spot runs on CTV, with the creative extending to OOH across New York City and Long Island, NY.
Outside New York in New Jersey and Connecticut, OOH reads “We Always Knew.”
Certified B Corp Just Salad launched in 2006 and currently has locations across New York, New Jersey,
Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.