Following the Oklahoma City Thunder’s win over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, Reese’s unveiled a new OOH-led campaign to celebrate its new brand ambassador, Thunder player Luguentz Dort.
Hours after the team’s victory on Sunday night, digital billboards went live in Toronto’s Sankofa Square and Dort’s hometown of Montreal, featuring celebratory ads inspired by fans’ “Luuuu” chants whenever Dort sinks a three-pointer. The ads also highlight how Dort’s defensive skills helped lead his team to the championship.
The billboards will be on display until June 30, but the campaign will run for a year, with in-store activations, digital content and PR. UM is handling the media buy, Salt XC is managing creative and Craft Public Relations is leading PR.
“We’re obviously thrilled that Luguentz Dort and the Oklahoma City Thunder took home this year’s NBA Championship, and we wanted to celebrate with him in a big and iconic way,” says Reese’s marketing manager Cerella Zhao.
Zhao tells Media in Canada that most of the campaign budget went to DOOH ads. According to her, Reese’s aims to generate organic buzz via earned media in both traditional and social channels through creative and relevant storytelling, without significant paid investment.
Reese’s is also hoping its DOOH presence will reach a broader audience, with a focus on high-traffic areas where it can drive strong awareness. Given the speed at which the campaign unfolded, Zhao says the brand selected locations that not only offered high visibility but also provided the creative appeal necessary to drive the campaign’s message.
“This campaign helps insert Reese’s into the cultural fabric in a relevant and timely way,” she says.
This is Reese’s second campaign with Dort, following a shopper- and social-led push in January that introduced the brand’s new Nougat Bar snack and its partnership with the player. Reese’s relationship with the NBA dates back to 2021, when the league partnered with Hershey Canada as its official chocolate in the country.
The OOH takeover builds on recent activations the brand has launched in an effort to be top-of-mind for Canadians. More recently, Reese’s promoted its Big Cup with Caramel snack with a two-day activation, leveraging Quebec’s Cabane à Sucre (sugar shack) tradition. The activation, timed to coincide with National Caramel Day, drew over 1,000 attendees.
According to Zhao, the partnership with Dort is continuing, along with plans to introduce products, including its Nougat Bar snacks, with new campaigns this fall.
