Former NBAer Robert Horry poses in a Wish shirt at a Lakers game earlier this seasonNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Wish is in the second year of its jersey patch sponsorship with the Lakers, and the online retailer regularly offers courtside seats at Staples Center to celebrities "on the condition that they wear a Wish T-shirt during the game," according to David Cohen of ADWEEK. That strategy "proved a success when Kendall Jenner sported a black Wish T-shirt" at the team's home opener this season, which coincided with LeBron James' first home game with the Lakers, and "images appeared all over the press." Singer Halsey quickly "followed suit," while other celebs have "gone even further." Snoop Dogg agreed to an "on-court interview where he picked out five products he would buy for his friends on Wish," and Jenner and Martha Stewart helped Kobe Bryant "shop for items on the app." Wish Managing Dir of Partnerships Sam Jones said that the Lakers' "intimate relationships with its celebrity fans helped seal the deal," adding that things "may have been different if Wish tried approaching those same celebrities directly." Jones called the overall sponsorship with the Lakers a "raging success." He said, "The Lakers have been easy to deal with. They have granted full access beyond the contractual terms. And then LeBron James joined and created a tidal wave. ... I can’t tell you the number of airports I’ve been in where I’ve seen LeBron on the front page, or in a video game, or the Nike app, with the jersey patch" (ADWEEK.com, 3/13).
