San Antonio Spurs fans were having a MOMENT with videos from NBA draft parties going viral around the world as fans lost their minds with excitement after the announcement that the number 1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama would become a San Antonio Spur! But they weren’t just excited for the season’s potential, this meant a whole new crop of the iconic H-E-B x Spurs content with brand new characters to introduce to the multi-generational audience of H-E-B and Spurs fanbase – a tradition fans look forward to every year.
30 years of partnership between these two iconic Texas brands have brought a series of legendary player-led content to fans since 2004. In an ESPN article about Tim Duncan they write, “his commercials for the supermarket chain H-E-B are as legendary as anything he did on the court.” And after a 3-year hiatus from H-E-B x Spurs commercials, through social listening, we heard our fans loud and clear. We knew we had to bring this special content back in an even bigger way and not just to our customers’ television screens. With an all-new cast of players on the roster, including, number 1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama and a wide range of funny personalities, H-E-B was set to do something cool.
The main objective for H-E-B was to strengthen brand equity through storytelling and fan connection, capitalizing on a moment of super-fandom and creating a campaign that was multi-faceted and engaging for fans in-stadium, at-home, and online.
Through social listening, H-E-B tracked online conversation and saw a growing demand for new H-E-B x Spurs content in anticipation for the season. H-E-B quickly knew that this was the time to harness the energy and be a part of the cultural moment exploding across this key market by bringing back H-E-B’s Player campaign.
Concepts were designed to tell stories that were authentic to the players and build the communal relationship between H-E-B, the Spurs and our fans in a playful and participatory way. After all, who hasn’t wondered how they “stack up” to a NBA professional in cartons of ice cream or “dye” your hair inspired by your favorite flavor treat?
We extended these TV and digital spots, allowing H-E-B and Spurs fans in-store, in-stadium and at home to join in the fun using a Snapchat AR filter, where fans could stand out with their own Creamy Creations Ice Cream inspired wigs. An in-arena fan cam filter was created, allowing fans to be on the jumbotron sporting wigs, just like their favorite players and to drive more traffic to the Snapchat filter.
H-E-B took it another step forward and worked with a local San Antonio artist to create a special, one-of-a-kind custom duffle bag made from Raspberry Truffle ice cream cartons for Spur Jeremy Sochan to don during his weekly “tunnel fit” fashion show, along with his Creamy Creations Raspberry Truffle wig. To keep the Creamy Creations brand love going, we also created standees in-store and wall clings in-stadium for fans to see how they stack up to 7’3” #1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama, in ice cream cartons – referencing a line from a TV commercial where he measures himself, but also providing a standalone fun brand moment if fans hadn’t seen the spots.
This campaign created another MOMENT for the Spurs fanbase that H-E-B tapped into by listening to customers, and giving them a unique experience and connection to their beloved Spurs like no other brand could.
Social chatter erupted as the campaign launched and progressed with digital stats soaring for view-through rate (VTR) and engagement rate (ER) across the board with Meta seeing a 85.19% VTR and snapchat scoring an 88% VTR – meaning customers engaged and watched the content.
We nailed the ultimate three-pointer – beloved team, brand, and fans coming together to celebrate a common passion.
