As part of their multi-year agreement, financial services company Sun Life and Canada Basketball are hosting the Hoops & Health tournament.
Created in collaboration with Victory Creative Group agency, the event will give Canadians the opportunity to win prizes, watch basketball, meet Canada Basketball and Wheelchair Canada Basketball team players, and learn how Sun Life is helping Canadians lead healthier lives through its products and philanthropic partnerships. The tournament will take place on July 3 at Yonge-Dundas Square.
It is being promoted through Sun Life and Canada Basketball social media channels, email newsletters and on Sun Life’s website, which also includes information about the brand’s wellness programs.
Last March, Sun Life became Canada Basketball’s official health and wellness sponsor. As part of the sponsorship, the brand’s logo has appeared on the jerseys of Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams.
“The sponsorship with Canada Basketball signals a greater investment in the sport of basketball (as a sponsorship platform) to encourage people to live healthier lives and furthers the connection between Sun Life and health,” Paul Joliat, VP of global partnerships and marketing planning at Sun Life, says.
Joliat tells Media in Canada that Canada Basketball’s objectives are aligned with the brand’s long-standing goal of staying in consumers’ minds as a brand that helps them be healthier. And the upcoming event, he says, will capitalize on the popularity of basketball in Canada and the game in general to highlight the connection between Sun Life and Canada Basketball, while reaching a bigger audience.
Both organizations had already partnered prior to the sponsorship agreement, in 2022, to donate three grants to local and regional organizations committed to growing basketball and improving access to sport for communities and youth in economic need.
In addition to the Canada Basketball deal, Sun Life has been closing other agreements in the sports arena. In 2017, for example, it became the first jersey patch sponsor of the Toronto Raptors and, starting in 2022, the team’s official health and wellness partner.