The best ads of the NBA finals are here and ready for sharing. This year, the season ending game brought with it some top talent and abundant creativity.
Basketball season has come to an end with the 2023 NBA Finals finishing this week, and while it’s sad to see the sport fade away for the next few months, it’s thrilling to see its epic conclusion. Not only was the basketball game a great watch, but so were the ads.
This year the Denver Nuggets took home the top prize in basketball, but there were plenty of advertising winners too. Some of the best campaigns from this year struck a balance between celebrating sports, making people laugh, and communicating brand value. Thus, showing how sports advertising can become an valuable and integral part of an effective advertising and marketing strategy.
Viewership was also up this year, with the 2022-23 NBA playoffs becoming the most-viewed series in five years. According to NBA communications, each game averaged 5.47 million TV viewers in the USA. These ad spots were well worth the ad spend for marketers. With so many eyes watching, this was an optimal time to make an impact.
Our top 3 NBA commercials from 2023 finals
These are some of the best commercials from the NBA finals.
3. Michelob ULTRA – Team Plane
Featuring Jimmy Butler, this ad does a great job of showing how a good beverage can make it easy to have some fun, no matter where you are. Who doesn’t like to dance around to a classic with a beer in hand? A familiar face to basketball fans and a familiar song to, well, everyone, makes this ad an instant success.
2. YouTube TV – More Dunks
The video giant brilliantly used gameday as an opportunity to show just how much its YouTube TV service has to offer basketball fans. In addition to its convincing features, YouTube uses this ad spot to bring enticing visuals and hypnotizing music, holding its audience’s attention for the entire thirty seconds and making the most out of its time.
3. NBA – We’re All in the Finals
This round-up wouldn’t be complete without talking about the powerful NBA advertising for this year’s finals. With voices, faces, and names from across popular media, this ad is an instant attention-getter. Not only that but the powerful narration and storytelling make for a compelling call to action, working to drive viewership for the last game of the NBA season. “We are all the finals” means that while one team will win the trophy, the emotions of the game belong to everyone.
Key Takeaways from the NBA Finals ads
Looking to capture the minds and imaginations of basketball fans, these ads draw upon some common, but effective strategies:
- Theme matters – the NBA ads from this year’s finals did a fantastic job at staying on theme, making it easy to hold the attention of sports fans.
- Famous actors – or in this case, famous basketball players. Hiring familiar faces makes for a well-entertained audience.
- Unique storytelling – like with most successful ads, these ads are one of a kind. Their creativity lets them stand out and grab people’s attention with ease.
If you want more articles like this, be sure to check out our Most viewed video ads of March Madness and The best Stanley Cup Playoff ads.
