Many League Sponsors Getting Involved With NBA Draft
NBA sponsors are activating heavily around tonight's Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Here is a rundown of some of the plans by various of the league’s sponsors:
* State Farm for the eighth consecutive year is the presenting sponsor of the Draft. As part of their activation, the company is holding a State Farm Draft sweepstakes with the winner receiving a trip for four to attend the '19 MGM Resorts NBA Summer League. The company will also have in-arena activation with a branded LED stage walkway.
* AmEx will hold a premium hospitality program, including a photo on the NBA Draft stage, access to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, a dinner reception with an NBA player, official NBA Draft merchandise, and premium seats to the event. AmEx also will bring NBA and NBA G League players participating in the Career Crossover program to the event to showcase the NBA partnership in action.
* AT&T has been running a sweepstakes leading up to the Draft and the company will have a mobile retail unit on the concourse along with pop-a-shot and a pre-Draft meet and greet with Clippers G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In-arena, there will be an “AT&T Player Green Room Check-In” enhancement.
* Beats will have a private player suite at the NBA Draft player hotel, where they will give players custom Draft and team-packaged Powerbeats Pro earphones.
* Kia is creating a social branded content series that showcases the journey of two NBA Draft prospects, Duke F R.J. Barrett and North Carolina G Coby White, as they arrive to N.Y. and explore the city in a Kia Telluride.
* Mountain Dew will return as the title sponsor of the Mtn Dew Green Carpet with player interviews as they walk the carpet.
* New Era is the Official NBA Draft Cap partner and is launching the New Era 2019 NBA Authentics: Draft Series. The company will roll out a 360 Path to the Cap activation in N.Y. that will culminate with the '19 draftees putting on their New Era Draft Caps as they officially enter the league on Draft night.
* SAP will have in-arena branding and will operate an NBA stats site to the NBA Draft with highlights and statistical insights from the '18-19 season during the in-arena show. Leading up to the Draft, stats.NBA.com will also include a statistical feature profiling the prospective draftees.
* Tissot is partnering with top Draft prospects Murray State G Ja Morant and Duke F Cam Reddish. In addition, Tissot will gift each first round pick on Draft night with a customized Tissot Quickster watch of their new team with their names engraved on the back.