👋 Welcome back to Sponcon Sports, a weekly newsletter dedicated to sponsored content strategy in the sports industry!

After watching season two of The Bear last year, the concept of Staging has stuck with me.

Staging (pronounced "stahzh") mirrors an unpaid internship, where a cook or chef temporarily works for free in another chef's kitchen to absorb new techniques and cuisines.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to apply this idea in the sports industry? Why confine ourselves to only exchanging ideas at conferences?

Imagine visiting the Los Angeles Chargers to master YouTube growth strategies, learning the art of partnership renewal videos from Liverpool (more on that later), or shadowing the Chicago Bulls to glean insights into crafting year-round value-driven schedule release campaigns.

While organizations happily pay for learning opportunities at conferences, there's no reason—beyond competition concerns—why they wouldn't support similar endeavors where employees could directly learn from industry leaders and bring back invaluable insights to their companies.

Reply to this email if you would want to give this a try!

In Today’s Edition:

• Ranking The Top NFL Draft Sponcon 🏆️ 

• Mercedes x WhatsApp Take NYC 🏎️ 

• Liverpool Deploys Another Great Renewal Video ⚽️ 

🏊️ DEEP DIVE
The Top 2024 NFL Draft Sponcon Ranked

The NFL Draft stands as a tentpole of the league’s offseason, making football a year-round obsession.

Alongside staples like the combine, free agency, and schedule release, this event shines as must-watch television.

For brand partners, it's a prime opportunity to stay top of mind during three action-packed days of fan engagement.

As the Draft progresses into its later stages, where TV interest may wane, fans can stay connected with their team's picks through digital channels.

Here are some key digital trends from the NFL Draft:

Presenting Sponsorship: Twenty-six of 32 teams (81%) had a presenting partner for their digital coverage.

• By presenting partner, I mean a brand that had a majority share of voice in sponsored content or was identified by their inclusion in a custom logo lockup.

• Miller Lite (Cowboys and Bears) and Verizon (Colts and 49ers) led the pack.

Nearly every team (30-of-32) posted the front office’s calls to draft picks from inside the draft room.

• Twenty-four of those 30 teams (80%) had a sponsor on these videos.

• One brand showed up most often 👇️ 

Verizon was the most utilized brand across the league.

• Nine teams (28%) published sponsored content with Verizon.

• Seven teams placed Verizon as the sponsor of their draft day calls to players - no other brand had more than one sponsorship of this content.

• Two teams (Texans and Jaguars) connected Verizon to different sponcon. The Texans posted player-reaction selfie videos and the Jaguars showed current players talking about the first person they called after being drafted.

• Verizon was the primary sponsor of the NFL’s day two coverage including takeovers on Instagram Stories and Snapchat connected to their “Streaming On The Sidelines” campaign.

Twenty-six of 32 teams (81%) live-streamed content, ranging from press conferences to draft preview and recap shows.

• Of the 26 teams that live-steamed content, 20 teams (77%) had the content sponsored.

• Note - the remaining six teams had brands included in their press conference backdrop.

Two teams had branded war rooms (6%).

• Those teams were the Giants (Crestron) and Vikings (Thomson Reuters).

Now let’s dive deeper into my ranks of the best sponsored content from the 2024 NFL Draft.

Tier 4 - Cowboys x AT&T: Playbook Connect

Early in the morning (1:22 am) after day one of the draft, the Cowboys asked fans to submit questions for a rapid-fire Q&A with first-round draft pick Tyler Guyton.

Before the second round started, the Cowboys quoted eight of the 85 questions with responses from Tyler.

As the sponcon name suggests, AT&T is all about making connections. This activation did just that, capitalizing on the time between the first and second rounds as well as Tyler’s first visit to the team facility.

The Rookie Q&A generated 760K impressions and 3.9K engagements.

Tier 3 - Draftee Phone Calls

Anecdotally, I'd venture to say this is the most coveted content for brands during the NFL Draft.

The assumption is that at least one of these phone calls will deliver outstanding results, given the intimate access and emotional resonance they provide.

Here are a few standout moments from four teams in this tier.

Jets x Verizon: The Jets win for best story of the draft. Qwan'tez Stiggers' inspiring journey from zero-star recruit to Fan Controlled Football to the Canadian Football League's Most Outstanding Rookie, and now, to the NFL.

Vikings x Thomson Reuters: A candid moment between the Vikings' front office captured the essence of the draft excitement when they traded up to select OLB Dallas Turner.

Dolphins x Verizon: The Dolphins effectively tied Verizon to their draft phone calls, demonstrating a strong brand connection. Yes, “The Call presented by Verizon” is not rocket science, but only two other teams (Cowboys + AT&T, Bears + United Airlines) gave this content a name that was relevant to the brand sponsoring it. Most teams either slapped a logo on the video or included a floating “presented by”.

Bengals x Integrity Express Logistics: The Bengals’ animated logo lockup captured my attention best. The motion made me aware of the sponsor in a way that didn’t take away from the content.

Tier 2 - NFL Draft Product Integration

Three teams cleverly integrated products into sponsored content.

Patriots x Webex: The Patriots' use of Webex for press conferences was a natural fit, highlighting seamless product integration.

Panthers x GMC: I loved this last year and it gets high marks from me again. Integrating a GMC vehicle into Xavier Legette’s arrival provided a subtle yet effective branding opportunity.

Cincinnati Bengals x Goodwin: This concept wins on originality. Goodwin is a technology company focused on enhancing charter aviation. The Bengals created a hype video showing the team using Goodwin to book first-round draft pick Amarius Mims’ flight to Cincinnati.

Tier 1B - NFL x Microsoft: Your Call

The NFL grabbed the top two spots on this list.

Your Call presented by Microsoft was a heartwarming activation where first-round picks were surprised by their college teammates via Microsoft Teams calls, showcasing emotional moments post-selection.

For athletes, teammates are like family, so it's fascinating to peek behind the curtain and witness the emotional moments right after being drafted into the NFL.

On X, Your Call produced nearly 3M impressions and 13K engagements.

The top-performing post by impressions (716K+ impressions) was a call back to last season’s activation.

Tier 1A - NFL x New Era: Draft Cam

A perfect example of product-moment fit.

This sponcon gets top marks over Your Call because it centers on a moment intrinsic to the draft, even without sponsorship.

When a player is drafted, they put on the hat of their new team, walk to the stage, and hug Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The NFL and New Era transformed this hat moment into exceptional sponsored content.

Cameras captured players as they donned their hats and checked themselves out in the mirror, presenting a "Get Ready With Me: NFL Draft edition" vibe.

New Era caps authentically embody the moment, and the NFL enhanced it by showcasing players' joy and excitement.

On X, the Draft Cam garnered 1.8M impressions and 12.3K engagements.

Moreover, New Era received an Instagram Story takeover on day one (41 frames in total) and was tagged in every draft selection graphic from day one.

Others Receiving Votes

Jets x Audi: You’re telling me the Jets turned around a 34-minute episode of their all-access show, Flight 24, by Tuesday night?! It’s a must-have on this list.

Cowboys x Invisalign: The Cowboys gave Invisalign a takeover of Tyler Guyton's first day with the team, aligning perfectly with their #WinningSmiles campaign.

49ers x Levis: Ricky Pearsall, the 49ers' first-round draft pick, made a stylish entrance by walking the Levi’s Red Carpet upon arriving at the team facility, seamlessly integrating the brand's regular season sponsorship.

Bears x United Airlines: The Bears orchestrated a comprehensive campaign named "Path To The Bears," featuring a custom logo lockup across various platforms, including draftee phone calls, player selfie videos, player arrivals, and player photos.

NFL x Subway: The NFL teamed up with Subway to launch an Instagram AR Lens, allowing fans to predict their team's draft selection, adding an interactive element to the draft experience.

Panthers x Bud Light: Bud Light took center stage as the presenting sponsor of the Panthers' draft coverage, with impeccable set design and graphics during the team’s Draft Day Special and Sit Down Interview with Xavier Legette, effectively showcasing their partnership.

Rams x Zillow: The Zillow Draft House was prominently featured during the Rams' preview and recap live streams, showcasing a creative integration of the brand.

Bengals x Skyline Chili: The Bengals showed off the sheer size of Amarius Mims using a Skyline Chili coney. Looks like there’s more to come?!

💼 CASE STUDY
Sponsored Content of the Week

Mercedes F1 took to the streets of New York City for another incredible activation with their Official Messaging Partner, WhatsApp.

Their mission? To generate awareness of WhatsApp’s new race car emoji it launched to celebrate double-digit growth in the US.

While die-hard Mercedes fans were likely intrigued simply by hearing the news, the team needed an earned-first strategy to capture widespread attention via media placements and significant coverage on social media on Mercedes-owned channels.

A post showing the team using the emoji in a WhatsApp conversation would not suffice especially because that tactic was used for the partnership announcement in 2023.

So, what did they do?

Mercedes and WhatsApp took over Fifth Avenue centered around a collaboration with the Empire State Building, which included turning the building’s tower lights a bright WhatsApp green and projecting a dynamic light show with the new emoji racing on its façade.

The following morning, racing legend Lewis Hamilton hopped into the driver's seat of the W12, accompanied by a life-sized replica of the emoji race car. Together, they staged the first-ever live demonstration of an F1 car in the heart of Manhattan.

The new emoji rolled out to all two billion WhatsApp users and is available to use immediately in your chats.

For those of us who were scratching our heads—yes, like me—wondering why the race car emoji still appeared red on WhatsApp, here's the trick: once you hit send, it magically transforms into Mercedes green.

WhatsApp didn't stop there—they've also rolled out some Mercedes stickers for added flair.

One of the highlights of this activation was Mercedes and WhatsApp's collab with @EmpireStateBldg on social media. With a strong following, particularly among New Yorkers, and a proven track record of capturing attention, especially in sports, it was a smart move.

Surprisingly, Empire State Building posts on X drove more impressions than Mercedes posts by 3% (3.46M vs 3.37M) despite fifteen fewer posts (32 vs 17).

And speaking of New York, kudos to Mercedes for setting a stellar example of building fandom in international markets. Their collaboration with their American brand partner resulted in a must-see event in the country's top market, all before this week's Miami Grand Prix.

The Results

Earned Media: As expected there was strong media pickup including coverage in Complex, Bleacher Report, Sports Business Journal, CBS News, and more.

Social Coverage: Over 55 pieces of content were produced on social media between Mercedes, WhatsApp, and the Empire State Building generating over 40M impressions across channels.

The top three pieces of content by impressions came via Mercedes’ Instagram account, reeling in 8.6M, 8.3M, and 6.4M impressions respectively.

The Takeaway

When brand partners seek support from teams for their announcements, the strategy often lacks a hook to engage the team’s fans.

However, Mercedes and WhatsApp crafted a moment that resonated with all parties involved, yielding significant wins on both social and traditional media.

🔍 SPONCONSPIRATION
Steal These Ideas

Liverpool nailed another partnership renewal video, this time with AXA. Wait until the end for my favorite part featuring Jürgen Klopp.

One of the underrated perks of Arbella Insurance being the Boston Celtics playoffs presenting partner is being connected to their amazing edits, like the sound editing here and the ball tracking here.

Lauren Hemp’s Man City contract extension Instagram Reels produced nearly 6M views. Loved how they integrated LEGO into their tease and announcement posts.

Check out Luka Dončić’s arrival at Mavs-Clippers game where Jordan Brand wrapped a custom ’68 Camaro to match the new “Midnight Racer” Luka 3s. It’s giving Jalen Ramsey x Porche Mariachi Arrival vibes.

I’ve really enjoyed LaLiga’s sponcon series, Beyond Stats presented by Microsoft. My favorite part is this outstanding presence on the league’s website.

🚨 ICYMI
What To Watch For

Fan Art Gallery: The Atlanta Hawks ran a Fan Art Friday program this season in partnership with Modelo. It would be so cool to see a team or league level up this concept by launching a pop-up gallery opening featuring fan art.

TikTok Ban Next Steps: While you have time before a TikTok ban takes effect, this to-do list in Lia Haberman’s ICYMI newsletter is a must-read.

Web 3 Jerseys: Man City launched a new NFT collection that will allow fans to win a limited number of unique jerseys and matchday experiences. Blue Moon is collectible two of Unseen City Shirts, a campaign in partnership with OKX where users can mint the digital collectibles on the OKX app at no cost.

Memories Unite Us: As part of Cadbury's 200th Anniversary celebration, Manchester United teamed up with them and their partner, Alzheimer's Research UK, to show the power of creating, sharing, and preserving memories. The landing page on the Man U site dives deeper into Reminiscence Sessions the club hosts and much more.

In The Zone: The NHRA had an area specifically for content creators at the Four-Wide Nationals last weekend.

On The Rise: Threads has more daily users in the US than X. So far in April, Threads has averaged an estimated 28 million daily active users while X has averaged 22 million DAUs.