NBA superstar LeBron James took product placement to a new level during Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night.
James sat courtside with a bottle of Lobos 1707 tequila prominently placed beneath his seat, perfectly centered, with the label facing the camera.
Founded by actor Diego Osorio, the brand is co-owned by James. Other investors include fellow NBA stars Anthony Davis and Draymond Green, sports agent Rich Paul, and capital investment firm Torch Capital.
Joe Pompliano, founder of the sports media newsletter Huddle Up, implied in a tweet that officials allowed the perennial all-star to bring the bottle in, as NBA rules and regulations specifically prohibit bringing alcohol into arenas.
When fans took notice, King James responded, suggesting that he seemingly snuck the tequila into the game and proclaimed, “‘BYOT’ Bring Your Own Tequila!”
They let me??? Ok we’ll go with that! “BYOT” Bring Your Own Tequila! 😁😎🐺🐺🐺🐺🐺 @Lobos1707 https://t.co/HbfenvIK8O
— LeBron James (@KingJames) July 18, 2021
With paid commercial advertising starting at approximately $700,000 for spots running during the NBA Finals, James’s cleverly concocted campaign might just have saved the brand a sizable amount of cash. Now the internet is abuzz with the news, proving that celebrity endorsements can carry exceptional value, especially when combined with innovative, relatively rogue marketing methods.
