For passionate sports fans, the past is as important as the present. That storytelling opportunity inspired an Olympic Winter Games experiential campaign here on home turf for sponsor Michelob ULTRA that featured custom content, nostalgic venues and watch parties, all capped by a fortuitous gold medal win. But more on that in a moment.

One month before the U.S. men’s national hockey team secured its historic gold medal at the Olympic Winter Games in Milano, Italy, Michelob ULTRA on Jan. 15 created a launch point for its freshly inked USA Hockey sponsorship, inviting fans to travel back 46 years to 1980, when Team USA last captured hockey gold. (As another layer to the campaign, the brand is the official beer sponsor of Team USA for the Olympic and Paralympic Games through 2028.)

The immersive showcase at Herb Brooks Arena, in former Olympic host city Lake Placid, NY, titled “Run Back the Miracle,” featured high-definition holograms, full-surface ice projections, archival items, never-before-seen footage from that “Miracle on Ice”-referred game, and chats with former team members.

As the 2026 Winter Games wound down in Italy weeks later, the brand moved to another historic Olympic stomping ground here in the U.S., activating the Michelob ULTRA Summit by TCL, Feb. 19-22, at the Forum at Canyons Village at Park City Mountain Resort in Utah, home of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. The brand offered après-ski watch parties with live event viewing enhanced by TCL (worldwide Olympic partner for technology and innovation), warming stations, live curling competitions on a branded sheet, and other fan-centric activities.

Winter sports fans could also check out an exhibition of archival items from the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, including a USA Hockey jersey signed by “Miracle on Ice” gold medalist Mike Eruzione, the Olympic Winter Games Salt Lake City 2002 torch, and an Olympic Winter Games Lake Placid 1980 gold medal.

Then on Feb. 20, the brand hosted its own closing event featuring a performance by Kygo at the mountain’s summit, the first electronic music producer to perform at the Olympic Games closing ceremony during the 2016 Summer Games in Rio. The event also featured the return of night skiing for one night only at the mountain, an activity that hadn’t been offered since 2017.

And while you don’t necessarily need historic wins to take home sponsorship gold, it certainly helps. The U.S. women’s hockey team secured a gold-medal win, beating Team Canada in overtime on Feb. 19. The U.S. men’s hockey team went on to secure a gold-medal win in overtime against Team Canada on Feb. 22, the final day of the Michelob ULTRA’s activations. Forty-six years in the making, the events brought the brand’s “Run Back the Miracle” showcase full circle.

Fresh off months of Olympics fever, we reached out to Ricardo Marques, vp-marketing for Michelob ULTRA, for insights on the live elements of this full-scale campaign.

Event Marketer: Tell us about these intertwining partnerships, why they make sense for the brand, and the overarching vision for bringing them to life?

Ricardo Marques: Michelob ULTRA has a longstanding history of existing at the intersection of sports and culture, and it’s hard to imagine a place that embodies that spirit better than the Olympic and Paralympic Games… We brought key figures from that [1980] game back to where it all happened at the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid for an unforgettable evening, perfectly timed to the return of hockey to the Olympic Winter Games stage for the first time since 2014. As part of this moment, we also kicked off a sponsorship with USA Hockey and added the Tkachuk brothers to our roster of Team ULTRA athletes. It was incredible watching them compete on this global stage and ultimately take home the gold—46 years to the day from the historic “Miracle on Ice” game.

EM: Any particular insights on the hockey fandom that inspire you as a marketer? 

RM: We’ve seen hockey’s increased popularity in the U.S. continue to grow, especially as the top pros geared up to return to the Olympic stage. We knew this was going to be a big moment and as a brand that champions competitive spirit and is the official beer sponsor of Team USA, we wanted to be a part of the story from the beginning. We’ve found that sports fans really value access—behind-the-scenes moments, nostalgia, and the chance to relive iconic milestones. They have a deep respect for tradition, but they’re also open to innovation when it genuinely enhances the experience. That mix of honoring the heritage of the game while bringing something fresh to the table has really guided how we show up.

EM: ‘Run Back the Miracle’ was so rich in storytelling and technology—give us the highlights, from your perspective, around the creative idea.

RM: “Run Back the Miracle” was about celebrating one of the most iconic moments in sports history and bringing it to life in a new way for Team USA fans. The idea wasn’t just to replay the moment, but to let people feel like they were actually part of it. From a production standpoint, it was all about blending immersive tech with authentic storytelling. We collaborated closely with former players from the 1980 team, legendary broadcaster Al Michaels and used multimedia elements to create something that felt both emotional and interactive.

EM: Turning to the ULTRA Summit Powered by TCL. What were your objectives around what was on offer?

RM: As the official beer sponsor of Team USA, we wanted to create the largest Team USA celebration state-side, where fans could come together and get access to iconic moments beyond the competition. Park City is one of the country’s most iconic winter destinations and is shaped by the legacy of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games and will welcome the world again in 2034.

EM: Finally, how are you measuring the success of the experiential components of the sponsorship?

RM: Our Winter Olympic Games programming is part of a larger strategy that ultimately leads to LA28. In milestone years when major sporting moments collide, we see an opportunity to showcase America’s competitive spirit on the biggest stages in the world. And with the Olympic Games returning to home soil for LA28, we’re continuing to build long-term equity in a space that sits at the heart of our brand.

When it comes to experiential specifically, it’s about creating meaningful connections. We look at things like engagement, and most importantly, whether the experience inspires how people feel about the brand. Top of mind for me is making sure every activation feels authentic, premium, and truly additive to the fan experience. If we’re enhancing how fans connect with the Olympics—and they leave associating that feeling with Michelob ULTRA—that’s a win.

Photo credit: Michelob ULTRA

Related:

• FIFA World Cup Club 2025: Fans Kick it at Michelob ULTRA’s Soccer Activation and Beer Garden
• 2024 Paris Games Preview: Rolling Coverage of Brands Activations

The post Olympics Q&A: Michelob ULTRA, USA Hockey and Home-Turf Events Worthy of Gold appeared first on Event Marketer.

The concept of “stress-free travel” may sound like a distant fantasy, but Hertz is on a mission to alleviate travel anxieties through its Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program—and a pack of friendly golden retrievers known as the Gold Squad.

First introduced last summer to help airport travelers decompress, the brand’s highly trained group of pups has since begun infiltrating select Hertz locations, where the company says they’ve been very well received. But the Gold Squad, and the brand, really found their calling on Feb. 7, serving as presenting sponsor of Goldens in Golden, an annual celebration in Golden, CO, that this year drew more than 5,500 golden retrievers (and their humans) from around the country. Hello, dream event.

To bring the intangible perks of its loyalty program to life, the brand kicked off its sponsorship at Denver International Airport, where it unleashed the Gold Squad to relieve travel stress and spread some love to Hertz customers.

Then it was on to the main event, Goldens in Golden, where the brand hosted the Golden Pup Cup Café, a community-centric activation anchored by an Airstream trailer—where the Gold Squad made plenty of appearances—that provided humans with warm lattes and, of course, matching treats for their fur babies.

The footprint also included a branded mural that doubled as a photo op and featured “Feeling Golden” messaging, as well as swag and room to sit down and socialize. Outside of the activation, the Gold Squad mingled with human and canine attendees, alike, across the event.

“Ultimately, it was about: how can we have a meeting spot for folks to be able to sit down, entertain their dogs, interact with each other, and just have the best possible experience, and keep it all aligned to what we’re trying to achieve as a brand and as a company—that customer experience comes first,” says Brian Canning, cmo at Hertz.

Naturally, the Gold Squad and the café inspired social sharing on-site, but Hertz also drove hype in the leadup to Goldens in Golden with the help of its dog influencer partners, a group of golden retrievers (and their parents) that the brand has worked with over the last six months while expanding the Gold Squad campaign.

“This was an event that just made perfect sense for us in terms of being able to not only show up and make the event a little bit better from our perspective, but also to have golden retriever influencers [come] from all over the country, show the joy of a road trip, especially with your dog, and show off our cars and what you can do with Hertz vehicles, and the power of our Gold Plus program,” Canning says. “So it really aligns to what we want to do and how we want to represent ourselves as a brand and in the community.”

SQUAD GOALS

The good news for dog lovers is that Hertz is just getting started on translating its brand promise, and product, into an experiential platform. In fact, the company is currently recruiting for a Gold Squad Pack Leader, a role that will entail strategizing for, and producing, Gold Squad appearances and activations.

The goal, Canning says, is to grow the program exponentially. “We’re doing more and more cities. We’re going to be doing more events outside of the actual Hertz locations. So it’s just going to get bigger and bigger. [The Gold Squad] are going to become a part of our brand DNA, because it aligns, again, with what we’re trying to do in investing in the customer experience.” Agency: Preacher.

Related:

• Purina Enlists Pet Behaviorists to Build a Dog-Friendly Section at an MLS Stadium
• Milk-Bone and Jif Collab on a Pop-up, Dog-friendly ‘Museum’

The post Hertz Unleashes a Pack of Dogs and a Pop-Up Café at the World’s Largest Gathering of Golden Retrievers appeared first on Event Marketer.

USAA’s annual Salute to Service Lounge at the NFL fan festival offers an exclusive space for military members, veterans, USAA members and their families to hear from and meet NFL players and legends, participate in EA Sports’ Madden NFL experiences, and see the impact of the brand’s military support initiatives and nonprofit partnerships.

While the panels, talent appearances and venue design change to fit the SBX’s host city, the lounge’s aim remains the same: to reflect USAA’s “deep commitment to serving those who serve our country for over a century,” says Krissy Gorsuch, director-sponsorships at USAA, who takes us inside the activation’s strategy, development and touchpoints.

Optimizing Schedules and Venues

USAA expanded the lounge’s programming this year in San Francisco, adding a third day to have it open on the SBX’s Military Appreciation Day on Feb. 4, when all military members and their families receive free admission, courtesy of the Wounded Warrior Project.

“For the seven sessions that we had, we reached max capacity every time. We always are able to get every single body in that room for these sessions, and we get great feedback from them,” Gorsuch says. “We started to see, the past couple of years, that we have a lot of repeat visitors who have been to this before in prior years at the different markets that we’re in, and they love it so much that they continually come back to SBX just to seek out the Salute to Service Lounge. It’s been really exciting to see that it’s gained that much momentum.”

This year, lounge visitors enjoyed a new vantage point away from the Moscone Center’s main convention floor with other brand activations, instead convening in an upstairs ballroom. The enclosed space allowed for a more intimate, private setting—no crowd noise or thumping music peripherally heard during Q&A sessions.

“Every year, placement is a little bit different. It’s highly dependent on the space, the capacity, what we’re able to do within the floor of SBX itself,” Gorsuch says. “It worked out well for us this year because we were really the only thing on that level before you went down to SBX, and we had a registration booth, which was the first thing you saw when you walked in through the doors, so people saw the branding right away and automatically knew that we were there.”

Distilling the Right Branding Combo

In December, USAA launched its new creative platform called “Taking Care of our Own,” which was incorporated into the lounge’s branding through large display panels and a video board that, during sessions, ran videos and messaging highlighting USAA’s year-round Salute to Service efforts. Gorsuch says the team takes into account the balance of Super Bowl and NFL branding with that of USAA.

“We know people are coming to SBX and to our activation with the energy of the Super Bowl, so we want to lean into that and leverage the spirit of the city, the color palette and the style guide that we work with the NFL on. But we also want people to understand that this is a USAA space that we’re bringing to our members,” she says. “When people walk in, they get the excitement of the Super Bowl branding, and as they’re walking out, the last thing they see on the exit walls is the USAA branding for a good reminder of how USAA is showing up for the military community.”

Leveraging Authentic Talent Partnerships

A special surprise for attendees, USAA invited Ellie and Emma, two golden retriever therapy dogs with more than 17 million followers on social media (@elliegoldenlife). Along with their owner Kevin Bubolz, an Army veteran, they spent time with attendees, gave out pawtographs, helped pack 2,500 care packages for veterans at the lounge, and introduced Salute to Service Award recipient Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers on stage.

The dog influencers and McCaffrey were among several celebrities brought into the lounge, including Jaxson Dart, quarterback for the New York Giants; Emeka Egbuka, wide receiver for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; CeeDee Lamb, wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys; Rome Odunze, wide receiver for the Chicago Bears; and, of course, brand ambassador Rob Gronkowski.

“One of the things that we look for when we’re partnering with talent is to ensure that they have an authentic military connection to maintain authenticity of the lounge,” Gorsuch says. “They’re coming to talk about their understanding and appreciation of the military, and it just comes through so much more authentically when they have that personal relationship and they understand the service and sacrifice behind what our service members go through.”

Bringing AI into the Mix

New for this year, an AI photo op was built into the queue space to engage fans as they waited for the lounge to open. In collaboration with EA Sports’ Madden NFL, of which USAA is the Official Salute to Service Partner, the photo booth ran an AI body scan of each participant, and they could then choose a Madden-inspired pose for the image that was available as a printout and downloadable file to share on social media.

“Last year, we had our own gaming kiosks so our guests who were waiting for the lounge could play Madden,” Gorsuch says. “And this year, we wanted to take it a step further so people could walk away with a keepsake and a memento of their time in the Salute to Service Lounge while keeping that interaction with Madden. It was a lot of fun, and we got some great feedback on it.”

Upcoming NFL Activations

In August, USAA and the NFL announced a multiyear extension to the longtime partnership. As the Official Salute to Service Partner of the NFL, USAA leads military appreciation throughout the season, particularly at Super Bowl, Pro Bowl Games, NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff. It is also the presenting sponsor of the Salute to Service Award, contributing $25,000 in the name of the award recipient to the military aid societies representing all U.S. military branches. New plans are on the horizon to enhance USAA’s international presence, and a one-hour Salute to Service broadcast show is in development.

Gorsuch says site visits for the next SBX in L.A. will start in the summer, and the team will evaluate the space to figure out how to “make the lounge bigger and better every year.” Talent partnerships are also on their radar year-round, with an eye particularly focused on the upcoming NFL Draft in April and working with incoming draft prospects who have military connections. Rookies and fan-favorites may be tapped for the next edition of the lounge.

“We had tremendous success this year with the content that came out of the lounge, and we’re looking at that a little bit differently—how we tell the story of the lounge, the veterans we invite to it and the talent and players involved in our Super Bowl experiences,” she says. “We’ve seen some great growth in our social engagement from last year to this year, which is a big indicator of the interest and excitement that people have for the lounge.” Agency: 160over90.

Photos: Courtesy of USAA; Juanita Chavarro Arias

Related:

• Physical Recreations, Digital Engagements Power USAA’s Army-Navy Game Activation
• From Jersey Mike’s Shore to Visa Print Shop, Top 12 Activations at Super Bowl LX Experience

The post USAA’s Sponsorships Director Talks NFL Talent Partnerships and Optimizing a Lounge appeared first on Event Marketer.

This week’s hot takes on hot topics in experiential marketing cover Clean Machines, glam trucks and the Gimme Gummy Bar.

BEAUTY FANS BELLY UP TO THE GIMME GUMMY BAR IN L.A.

Surviving the news cycles this year has felt more like an Olympic sport than anything that happened at Milano-Cortina 2026.

It’s no wonder, then, that the “Gimme Gummy” trend, an ASMR-inspired aesthetic defined by its flexible textures, glossy finishes, rubberized details and tactile nature, was a top trend in the 2026 Pinterest Predicts report. While driven by Gen Z, the trend signals a broader consumer shift towards creature comforts, customization and sensory play, as consumers respond to overstimulation and trend fatigue.

And NYX Professional Makeup wasted no time getting beauty fans hyped for Gimme Gummy as a key 2026 beauty theme with the two-day Gimme Gummy Bar. Together with Pinterest, the brand from Feb. 20-21 hosted an activation in L.A. that not only offered some serious experience-design eye candy, but gave consumers a hands-on, customizable experience steeped in the trend.

Attendees crafted personalized bag charms at the Chewy Charm bar, sampled NYX’s newly launched Jelly Job lip gloss products, snapped photos in curated settings and indulged in sweet treats at a gummy candy bar. Lip gloss and gummy bears? Take all of our money. (Agency: NVE Experience Agency)

Photos: Courtesy of Pinterest

CREATORS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT AT TIKTOK’S GLOBAL LIVE FEST

Influencers live in a whole realm of their own. Look no further than TikTok’s Global Live Fest, an annual event dedicated to celebrating the achievements of top creators (and their communities) on TikTok Live, a feature that allows users over the age of 18 with 1,000-plus followers to interact with their communities in real time via livestreams. Following a series of in-app creator competitions, Global Live Fest serves as the yearly culmination of a tastemaker showdown.

This year’s event, hosted Feb. 12 at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, attracted more than 600 creators from 45 countries—not to mention the 4 million people who tuned into the live broadcast—for a conference and awards show that shined a light on the best of TikTok Live creator content and community interactions from the past year.

Multi-hyphenate actress and entrepreneur Keke Palmer served as the evening’s lively host, while singer Demi Lovato gave a closing performance featuring some of her biggest hits, plus tracks from her newest album.

But that’s not all, folks. The festivities actually got started ahead of Global Live Fest on Feb. 9 with Regional Live Fest, an event for U.S.-based TikTok Live creators held at Area15 in Vegas that featured an appearance by dj Steve Aoki, who received the Entertainment Live of the Year Award.

Beyond Vegas, TikTok hosted nine regional Live Fest events around the world, from Dubai to Rome to Seoul, honoring the impact of creators on their respective follower communities. (Agency: Seen Presents)

Photo credit: Seen Presents

SEPHORA AND TNT SPORTS DELIVER GLOW-UPS ON THE GLAM ROOM BUS TOUR

Alternative sports leagues are gaining traction, and the savviest of brands are making moves to capitalize on the properties’ growing fandoms.

Take Sephora and TNT Sports, official partners of Unrivaled, a professional 3 vs. 3 women’s basketball league founded by two WNBA stars. As part of the sponsorship, the brands on Feb. 20 launched the Glam Room Bus Tour, a mobile experience that brings the permanent Sephora Glam Room located at Unrivaled’s Miami headquarters directly to fans around South Florida.

The tour’s custom-built, glass-paneled mobile unit is packed with activities that span pro beauty stations, product sampling, personalized services, exclusive giveaways and curated photo ops, allowing fans to get the player treatment for a day.

As part of the campaign, the brands are also crafting opportunities for behind-the-scenes coverage from the tour to be included in TNT Sports’ Unrivaled broadcast coverage, and Bleacher Report social platforms.

From Sephora Arena to the University of Miami, the co-branded Glam Room Bus Tour will hit a variety of locations through the remainder of the league’s 2026 season, which wraps on March 4. Talk about an alley-oop. (Agency: Digitas)

Photo: Courtesy of Sephora

SEEING IS BELIEVING INSIDE CASCADE’S LARGER-THAN-LIFE DISHWASHER

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to step inside your dishwasher? Nope, us neither.

But we have to say, many of the influencers who walked through Cascade’s “Clean Machine” experience at the Florida State Fair (Feb. 14-15) genuinely seemed to enjoy it. And the sensory installation wasn’t a one-off endeavor. Rather, the dishwasher detergent brand is rolling out a full Clean Machine tour that is slated to make stops across the U.S. this year.

In an effort to “unshroud the mystery” of what happens inside a dishwasher when its Platinum Plus product kicks in, Cascade is inviting consumers to step into the interior of a larger-than-life dishwasher to watch a full cycle powered by the product, and the science behind it. The experience comes to life through large screens that offer close-up views of the process, along with oversized dishwasher-rack installations filled with dishes, mugs and pans.

Beyond the Clean Machine, consumers at the State Fair could snap photos with giant props, enter to win a new GE Profile dishwasher, play a Spin the Plate game to score Cascade samples and swag, like water bottles and sweatshirts, and even meet Reggie the Repairman, the star of the brand’s newest tv campaign, who was available to answer any burning dishwashing questions.

Image: Courtesy of Procter & Gamble

LANEIGE LINKS PRODUCTS WITH PLAYLISTS AT ITS POP-UP BEAUTY STUDIO

Competition among beauty brands is fierce, but Laneige was well-equipped for the mindshare battle from Feb. 5-6 as it celebrated the launch of the JuicePop Box Lip Tint in NYC with a personalized, music-driven activation dubbed the JuicePop Box Studio.

The pop-up gave visitors a chance to explore eight Lip Tint shades through the lens of music via a sensory journey that matched each tint with its own genre and playlist. The idea? To make finding a new shade as exciting as finding your next favorite song. And music was woven throughout the experience, right down to playlist prompts at the brand’s dedicated shade stations.

The space also operated as a content studio, with plenty of shareable design elements on hand, from a record wall to oversized product installations, that begged to be captured. A traditional photo booth that yielded physical prints was also in the mix, along with branded refreshments and skincare giveaways. Juicy. (Agency: CNC Agency)

Photo credit: CNC Agency

More from The Brief:

• The Brief: Drive-Thru Pit Stops and Traveling Basecamps
• Watch: January 2026 Experiential News Commentary

The post The Brief: Clean Machines and Gummy Bars appeared first on Event Marketer.

On the ground, basketball fans turned out in Los Angeles, Feb. 12-15, to catch NBA All-Star’s first-time USA vs. The World format, see their favorite players in action and celebrate the sport at NBA Crossover, the NBA’s All-Star fan experience. Brands took over the L.A. Convention Center and surrounding venues with basketball games, photo ops, bars, exclusive merch, watch parties and appearances by NBA players and legends. Let’s explore nine activations that lived up to the revamped weekend’s “Awe-Star” hype.

American Express

Ahead of the All-Star weekend, American Express and the NBA announced they renewed their long-standing partnership, which spans the NBA, WNBA and NBA G League. To kick off the multiyear extension, the brand activated The American Express x Fanatics Real Vintage Vault in Venice, CA, on Feb. 13-14. The Vault offered limited-edition, vintage NBA merchandise—like jackets, sweatshirts, hoodies and t-shirts—for purchase, and attendees could peruse a display of NBA memorabilia and create personalized posters.

In addition to priority entry and complimentary giveaways, Amex card members could register with up to three guests each to attend a meet-and-greet with an NBA player, including Norman Powell of the Miami Heat and Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs. For fans not at NBA All-Star, the Fanatics Real Vintage Collection was available to shop online through Feb. 15.

Photo credit: Jones Crow for American Express

ANTA

For one day only, on Feb. 15, Santa Monica Pier’s Pacific Park became ANTALAND, hosted by sportswear brand ANTA and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks. There, families and basketball fans played carnival-style game stations, including pop-a-shot basketball, a ring toss and a branded prize wheel. Exclusive ANTA merch was available for purchase at a pop-up shop, and celebrity guests made appearances. (Agency: Team Epiphany)

Photo credits: Vicente Corona; Samiee Valdivia

AT&T

Returning as title partner of the Slam Dunk Contest, AT&T activated several fan touchpoints throughout NBA All-Star weekend. At NBA Crossover, AT&T hosted a lounge space within Hardwood Central, where attendees could charge their phones, relax on one of the couches or take photos with a custom branded, L.A.-inspired backdrop.

The brand debuted AT&T Dunk District, a pop-up destination at the Venice Beach basketball courts. The footprint included a Phone Case Customization Station, Free Play Basketball Court, the ShaiT&T fashion hub spotlighting merch from local artists, and an XSET-produced IRL livestream experience featuring a 2v2 basketball competition.

The centerpiece was the Dunk Bus that featured motorized hoops, NBA 2K gaming stations and a digital postcard wall that shared a collective fan story. Learn more about the traveling activation on wheels in our case study.

Photo credit: Jenna Fernandez for AT&T

DoorDash

DoorDash took its “In Your Bag” campaign to new heights at NBA Crossover by popping up a giant version of its signature red to-go bag that fans could enter to design their own unique mini bags at The Bag Lab customization experience. NBA stars Tyrese Maxey, Rip Hamilton and Stephon Castle arrived to customize bags and meet fans. (Agency: WPP Media Sports & Entertainment)

Photo: Courtesy of WPP Media Sports & Entertainment

Google

Google invited NBA Crossover fans to “ask anything about the game” at The Search Bar. Google Search’s AI Mode was translated into an art gallery-inspired space with larger-than-life installations, like a jelly mold, marble player statue, hanging Wilson rock, painting of a basketball game scene and concrete-block hoops setup. Upon entering the space, attendees received a small crossword puzzle, and at each exhibit, they had to find a keyword—such as JELLY, ROCK and AIMODE—to complete the puzzle and receive a giveaway.

Using AI Mode, participants could discover insights on basketball, players and the league, and then they could vote for their pick to win the NBA All-Star game, USA or the World, in an experience themed to Google’s iconic “I’m Feeling Lucky” button. A winner was chosen on Sunday and awarded the grand prize. Google also took The Search Bar to the streets of L.A. with the Mobile Search Bar, in the form of a custom limousine. (Agency: Hi-Vis)

Photos: Courtesy of Google

Kendall-Jackson

Official Wine Partner of the NBA, Kendall-Jackson engaged NBA Crossover attendees with curated wine tastings, photo moments on a branded court, live music, athlete appearances and panel discussions. NBA legends and players Carlos Boozer, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Gabe Vincent and Festus Ezeli, as well as Marc Spears, senior NBA writer for Andscape, stopped by the booth. (Agency: JetFuel)

Photo credit: Cristian Lopez

Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal

Beneath the Sixth Street Bridge, Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal brought to life a Ranch activation, highlighting its Premium West brand. As part of Complex Market, the Ranch encouraged attendees to play pool, Booray card games and ring toss challenges, as well as enjoy merch giveaways and signature Ranch Water and Espresso Martini cocktails made with Lobos 1707’s Pedro Ximénez Sherry tequila. A standout moment, the Compton Cowboys rode in on horseback, underscoring the Western aesthetic.

Photos: Courtesy of Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal

Nike’s Jordan Brand

The iconic brand by Michael Jordan and Nike went for a citywide experiential footprint that included eight retail space takeovers and a standalone Jordan Brand House in Inglewood, CA. The pop-up continued the Jumpman Genie campaign starring Niecy Nash from the Grammys and Super Bowl LX, and featured a custom Jordan Brand “Genie 23” Pontiac on display, a basketball court, a dj and shoe drops. The campaign’s centerpiece was a giant, illuminated cutout of the Jumpman logo that rolled around L.A. on a tractor-trailer. (Agency: Freehold Group)

Photos: Courtesy of Freehold Group

State Farm

This year, State Farm became the official sponsor of the 3-Point Contest at NBA All-Star Saturday Night and gifted a custom, one-of-one Jeff Hamilton jacket to the winner, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers.

Its NBA Crossover activation gave fans a chance to shoot their own shot on an LED court, where they could choose from difficulty levels like Rookie, Pro or All-Star. The inclusive court automatically scaled up and down, changing in size, based on the age and abilities of participants. The brand hosted its own celebrity 3-Point Contest in the booth on Feb. 13 with “assister” Jake from State Farm, Druski, Jared McCain, Nigel Sylvester, Caleb Williams, Richard Jefferson and PlaqueBoyMax.

Photos: Courtesy of State Farm

The post NBA All-Star 2026: Vaults, Giant To-Go Bags, an ‘AI Mode’ Gallery and a Rolling Logo appeared first on Event Marketer.