Best Buy teams with NFL, NBC; introduces 'spokeshologram'
Best Buy Co. Inc. is launching multiple omnichannel promotions to coincide with the start of the football season.
The consumer electronics giant has two new partnerships with NBCUniversal and the National Football League (NFL) to help establish itself as a shopping destination for the needs of football fans, with a little help from its new "spokeshologram." A synopsis of each collaborative effort follows:
NBCUniversal
Best Buy is running two new custom ad spots across NBC and Peacock, created in partnership with Best Buy’s marketing teams and NBCUniversal’s marketing and brand partnerships team, as well as in-game placements.
"Football fans love cheering on their favorite teams and having the right tech is a huge part of that viewing experience," said Jennie Weber, Best Buy chief marketing officer. "We’re excited to partner with NBCUniversal to help fans discover some cool tech that’ll take their game day to the next level."
The ad campaign begins before the 8:20 p.m. ET kickoff of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Baltimore Ravens season opening game on NBC Thursday, Sep. 5, 2024 with a spot featuring Best Buy’s new spokeshologram, Gram, joining NBC Sports host Mike Tirico.
Another exclusive ad spot will feature Gram making appearances alongside NBC Sports’ "Football Night in America" hosts Maria Taylor and Chris Simms.
[READ MORE: Best Buy’s new strategy includes AI, holograms, reimagined stores and more]
"We are committed to finding innovative and effective ways to elevate our partners through the power of premium content," said Peter Lazarus, executive VP, advertising & partnerships, NBC Sports. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Best Buy and tap into one of the biggest properties in sports. By harnessing NBCUniversal’s best-in-class technology, creative expertise, and trusted talent, we’re able to develop captivating stories that resonate deeply with our audiences and drive lasting impact for our partners."
NFL
2024 will mark Best Buy’s fifth consecutive year as an official sponsor for the NFL, specifically as the official home entertainment retailer of the NFL, focused on TVs. The retailer will have in-store NFL branding and signage in more than 800 stores to highlight the partnership.
Best Buy promotes fall football via own channels
Best Buy is also running its fall football campaign via its own channels. Nearly 400 locations will provide an in-store experience featuring game day and tailgate technology such as portable speakers, grills and TVs.
In addition, another advertising spot featuring Gram called “Ultimate Tailgate” will demonstrate how a customer can use the tailgate technology sold at Best Buy.
Other special seasonal promotions Best Buy has offered this year include TechFest, a late August sales blowout featuring all things tech, as well as a "Black Friday in July" event it hosted during July to compete with Amazon Prime Day. And while it was not promoted as a spring event, the retailer provided deals exclusively for members of its My Best Buy Plus and My Best Buy Total loyalty programs in March 2024.
Based in Minneapolis, Best Buy Co. Inc. operates more than 1,000 retail stores in North America as well as an e-commerce site and mobile app.
