NBA tips off Fortnite partnership in line with playoffs

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The NBA has tipped off a partnership with Fortnite in line with its 2021 playoffs, which will allow players to leverage on Fortnite’s “Creative Mode” to visit the NBA Welcome Hub for more NBA-related experiences and content surrounding the campaign.

Additionally, NBA players Donovan Mitchell and Trae Young will also share their locker bundles and reveal their personal favourite items to wear when they play Fortnite. Players can also suit up in any of the teams’ jerseys and grab the “Shoot and Score Pack” to get the hookshot emote and mini hoop back bling, which can feature the logo of all 30 NBA teams.

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Separately, the NBA has also unveiled its global brand campaign "That's Game" to celebrate the playoffs. The campaign features a series of four TV spots narrated by actor Idris Elba set to an original composition by Oscar-winning producer Jon Batiste. The spots are directed by Emmanuel Adjei and will air globally in 15 languages, with select markets featuring local celebrities as the voices of the campaign.

The 60-second brand spot revisits transcendent moments that have inspired communities of fans around the world, including raising a championship trophy, a draftee achieving his dream of playing in the pros, making a pregame fashion statement, elevating a social justice movement and other bigger than basketball moments. Meanwhile, the first 30-second playoff spot will continue this trend, reminding fans why NBA playoff moments are so special.

The NBA will also work together with relevant social content creators and influencers in a Los Angeles-based NBA House to create exciting social moments for fans via custom content and programming as part of the NBA Playoffs. It is also partnering with American music distributor UnitedMasters to craft unique content supporting and defining “That’s Game”, which is set to continue into the next season.

To top it off, NBA is also delighting fans with a “Catch the Game” watch-and-win promotion, offering fans who tune in to the playoffs to receive some of the most coveted NBA in-person experiences across the league’s marquee events during the final two rounds of the playoffs.

As part of the league’s ongoing social justice commitments, the “That’s Game” campaign will look to tell stories across the league and team platforms around our recently announced Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, investments in Black communities through the NBA Foundation and advocacy for policy change through the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition. MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to the NBA for comment.

The NBA has been actively engaging fans in Asia Pacific. During Ramadan this year, it rolled out a #NBAFastBreak campaign in Indonesia, which plays on the double entendre of Muslims breaking fast as well as the basketball offence strategy "fast break". As part of the campaign, Ramadan-themed executions were carried out across NBA's localised social media accounts from Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, to TikTok and LINE. Collectively, NBA said the accounts reach out to more than 4.2 million fans.

The campaign featured selected Muslim NBA players in exclusive video content series "NBA Fast Break Tips" who shared Ramadan tips and personal insights. NBA also worked with 11 local influencers, including Jerry Arvino, Claresta Taufan, Andakara Prastawa, and Rekti Yoewono, for the content series.

Last year, it also sold cloth face coverings featuring NBA team logos in Asia Pacific and Europe to support communities affected by the pandemic. Done in collaboration with sport and entertainment merchandise manufacturer FOCO, as well as operator of the league’s eCommerce stores in Asia Pacific and Europe, Fanatics, 100% of the proceeds went to humanitarian aid organisation Direct Relief.

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