The "Hulu Sellouts" ad campaign debuted this weekend around the NBA All-Star festivities with several notable NBA players taking on new nicknames and identities. The 30-second ad shows 76ers C Joel Embiid changing his nickname from "The Process" to "Hulu Has Live Sports" and how he signs autographs with his new moniker. The campaign also features a spot in which Trail Blazers G Damian Lillard showcases a new tattoo (THE DAILY). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Nat Ives noted the campaign, which promotes Hulu's live-television service, features stars like Embiid, Lillard and Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo taking "extreme measures to advertise that Hulu has live sports." The strategy is to "use humor to turn consumers' cynicism about influencers to Hulu's advantage." The Hulu campaign, which was created by Big Family Table, L.A., also played out in "large part on social media, with posts from the players' own accounts." Hashtags will "include #ad, #paid, #alot, #sponsored, #hulupaidme, #neversellout and #hulusellouts." Hulu said that the effort will "continue throughout the year with athletes from other sports" (WSJ.com, 2/15). THE DRUM's Kyle O'Brien noted the campaign "celebrates the 'sellouts' in admitting that the brand paid athletes." The Hulu campaign "comes at a time when many influencers are more subtle when it comes to revealing they're getting paid to promote something" (THEDRUM.com, 2/15).
