The NBA Draft is lastly upon us, however No. 1 decide Cooper Flagg has been posted up at an AT&T retailer in Occasions Sq. for a lot of the week, exhibiting followers the way forward for his model partnerships.
AT&T is one among a bunch of Flagg’s model companions that already embody Gatorade, New Steadiness, Fanatics, and, on draft evening, Uber Eats and Dunkin’. Even earlier than he was chosen by the Dallas Mavericks, On.3 valued Flagg’s identify, picture, and likeness (NIL) offers throughout his single yr at Duke College at $4.8 million, although the full worth of these contracts could also be nearer to $30 million.
However as a couple of days at AT&T’s “Flaggship Expertise” in Occasions Sq. made clear, Flagg’s pre-draft message to entrepreneurs and followers was much less in regards to the firms in his portfolio and extra in regards to the folks and locations that make up his personal model.
“My ‘Village’ has at all times been on the core of all the pieces I do,” Flagg informed ADWEEK. “The assist of my household, pals, coaches, trainers, and teammates has carried me by each a part of my life, on and off the court docket.”
From the three,133-person city of Newport, Maine, Flagg crammed AT&T’s area with jerseys from his state championship run at Nokomis H.S., his AAU Group Maine United, his time at Florida prep powerhouse Monteverde Academy, his stint little greater than a yr in the past on the McDonald’s All-American Group, and his run by March Insanity with Duke this yr. He additionally introduced in his mom, Kelly Bowman Flagg; his father, Ralph; his twin brother, Ace; his older brother, Hunter; and a regional cheering part that included former Boston Celtics participant and present announcer Brian Scalabrine.
He additionally introduced his grandmother and AT&T industrial co-star Evie Bowman.
“AT&T actually valued the connections I had with my folks, and that meant so much to me in partnering with them, they usually’ve run with the theme in our work collectively,” Flagg mentioned. “From that includes my grandmother ‘Mammie’ within the March Insanity marketing campaign to creating the AT&T Flaggship Expertise right here in New York that gave followers an opportunity to go nearer into my life and folks, it’s actually felt like they constructed the campaigns round who I’m, which I’m grateful for as I take this huge step.”
To an athlete who signed with New Steadiness partially as a result of his mother used to buy the model’s tent gross sales on the manufacturing facility in Skowhegan, 25 miles from his hometown, there’s worth to a model making a private connection past the court docket.
Flagg appeared on a Occasions Sq. billboard and frolicked with followers earlier than the Draft.AT&T
AT&T constructed Flagg into an interactive Occasions Sq. billboard, turned a number of ranges of its retailer into a glance inside Flagg’s skilled and household historical past, gave followers an opportunity to take a mock NBA Draft photograph with him, handed out digital ping-pong balls that rewarded followers with Flagg swag, and positioned an AT&T Blue rotary telephone within the area for followers to report voice messages to Flagg.
When AT&T associate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander—Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder star and newly topped NBA champion—was named the league’s MVP earlier this yr, the corporate put his mother on the telephone to congratulate him. Shortly after Flagg was drafted, AT&T ran the same advert along with his household congratulating him on the Flaggship’s blue telephone.
AT&T put Flagg and his story on the heart of its advertising and assembled items round him.
“We need to join followers, and what higher means to try this, to attach them to the athletes they love and faucet into these personalities that additionally actually signify our model very properly, whether or not it’s by connection, inspiration or who they’re as human beings,” mentioned Sabina Ahmed, AT&T’s assistant vice chairman of sponsorships and experiential. “Each Cooper Flagg and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander match very properly with our model and what we need to be recognized for, so bringing their persona into our sponsorship expertise and constructing off of our partnership with the NBA for instance and our reference to Cooper—faculty by skilled sports activities. That’s actually what we need to be sure that we tapping into.”
AT&T acquired a substantial quantity of assist throughout the “Flaggship” course of. The corporate had baby social media character The Rizzler pop into the store from throughout the river in New Jersey. It introduced in Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT Sports activities digital properties Bleacher Report and Home of Highlights to ask Flagg questions on web site and share the solutions with followers who couldn’t attend.
@bleacherreport Cooper Flagg has a default screensaver 😭 @AT&T #nba #nbabasketball #nbadraft #att ♬ authentic sound – bleacherreport
Whereas AT&T’s relationship with Flagg started with an easy March Insanity advert and AT&T Assure messaging, it’s drifted right into a extra long-term technique that introduces followers to Flagg, offers them associated content material and merchandise, and gives the context of its retail area earlier than accompanying him on his NBA profession. AT&T maintains a presence all through occasions like NBA Crossover at All-Star weekend and NCAA March Insanity and the Remaining 4, however Ahmed famous that, with Flagg, his household, and his story, it’s much less necessary to make his native affect nationwide than it’s to current nationwide and worldwide audiences with Flagg’s native pursuits and inspirations.
“One thing I’ve discovered by NIL and dealing with manufacturers is that you must lock in on what’s necessary to you—discovering shared pursuits and values that align with what you stand for,” Flagg mentioned.
