Too many brands still try to hijack the culture instead of creating with it. In this episode, David Brickley breaks down seven sports sponsorships that actually worked—each one built trust, earned credibility, and showed how to add to the conversation instead of interrupting it.

From LeBron’s viral Prime Day tease to Nike’s emotional Asia Wilson campaign, these are the moments that didn’t just check the brand box—they created real fan connection.

David walks through each one, explains why it worked, and gives you the playbook to create campaigns that sports fans actually want to share.

🎥 Also discussed:

Casey Hurbis (CMO of BetMGM) on why some campaigns flop: https://youtu.be/FGGDk5hddY4

LeBron’s Paid Sponsorship Post Went VIRAL. I Explain Why…: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn1Jro1newo

📌 Clips referenced in this episode:

• Amazon Prime Day × LeBron James: “What’s Next”
• Nike: “Winning Isn’t for Everyone”
• Nike IG: Scotty Scheffler “Guilty” Post
• State Farm × Caitlin Clark: “From the Logo”
• Nike × A’ja Wilson: “One of a Kind”
• Royal Kingdom × LeBron James
• Gatorade × Cooper Flagg: “Mic Drop”

Bonus Spec Ad:

• Converse × SGA (creator: @carstensen_)
• Tyrese Haliburton × Pacers (vs. Knicks) — “In New York”