Panera taps NBA star and fashion icon Kyle Kuzma to front ‘Sips and Drips’ promotion
The Washington Wizards star known for his ‘drip’ pairs different iconic looks with the colors of Panera’s beverages for a new promotion.
Here’s something basketball and fashion fans alike can sip on.
Cafe chain Panera has today announced that NBA champion and Washington Wizards star Kyle Kuzma is fronting its ‘Sips and Drips’ campaign right in time for the NBA Finals in June.
According to a new ad spot, the promotion entails free drinks for all members of Panera’s ’Unlimited Sip Club,’ from now until July 4. The message is relayed as Kuzma shows off his bold ensembles, curated by his stylist, to match the chain’s many beverages.
Between May 10 and May 18, consumers can sign up for Panera’s Unlimited Sip Club to receive a free membership, and be entered for a chance to win an upgraded Annual Unlimited Sip Club membership.
“The creative vision for this new campaign was to highlight the disruptive value that Unlimited Sip Club brings through a different and fresh lens – in this case, the bold fashion choices that fans know and love about Kyle,” says Meenakshi Nagarajan, senior vice-president of digital, loyalty and subscription at Panera. “We loved the idea of conveying our wide variety of beverage options via Kyle’s distinct fashion statements in a way that felt authentic to Kyle and the brand.”
Indeed, in addition to his illustrious sports career, Kuzma has built up quite a reputation for his fierce fits off the court. In a January Instagram post, he sports an all-leather get-up, which prompted his former teammate Jared Dudley to comment “#LeatherMan.”
The campaign, ideated and developed by PepsiCo’s Creators League Studio, includes 30- and 15-second spots, will start airing during the NBA playoffs, coupled with social content that will run across TikTok and other social platforms.