One of the most important tools in the experiential toolchest is sponsorship activation, the specific tactics that help our clients glean value from their support of sports, cultural and entertainment properties.
Our Carvana client, the beloved online car retailer, sponsors a wide variety of properties to accomplish a number of objectives on national, regional and local fronts.
Most of the sponsorships Encore has been tasked with activating center on lead generation. With a high ticket item such as the sale of a car, Carvana can extract great value from qualified leads.
As such, most of the experiences we create for Carvana give fans of the sponsored properties the opportunity to participate in an appropriately themed competition or photo opportunity in exchange for providing their contact information.
Scroll the photos below for an overview of some of Encore’s recent sponsorship activation work for Carvana!
Encore activates Carvana’s sponsorship of the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) by awarding fans with the opportunity to win high value prizes, such as a paddle signed by PPA superstar Anna Leigh Waters!Participants take turns hitting pickleballs shot from a serving machine onto an array of targets. Encore activated Carvana’s sponsorship of the Red Bull Rampage freestyle mountain bike invitational by giving fans the opportunity to win superstar Jaxson Riddle’s actual bike. The display features Carvana’s gold “halo” icon, a consistent feature through its brand communications.As with Carvana’s PPA sponsorship, mountain bike fans provide their contact information as part of the contest registration process.Loyal fans pose for pictures with Jaxson Riddle’s bike that they hope to win as part of the contest.For Carvana’s sponsorship of the Phoenix Rising FC, Encore produced a giant sized soccer cleat for fans to play in, on and around. This semi-permanent installation at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium will live on-site for three years. Nearby signage offers fans the chance to win prizes by posting their photos with the cleat on social media!To amp up the social amplification of the sponsorship, we commissioned A-Bomb the Artist, a Phoenix-area artist to paint the cleat in advance of its installation at the stadium.To activate Carvana’s sponsorship of the Chicago Fire FC, Encore created a soccer skills competition that simulates an actual team tryout.We fabricated a bold, blue activation zone, complete with Carvana tower and digital scoreboard, designed to capture attention within the Chicago Fire concourse.Fans took turns dribbling a soccer ball between pylons and kicking a ball into a goal for the chance to win prizes. The fastest times win!As with many of Carvana’s sponsorship activations, fans provide their contact information as part of the registration process, providing leads for Carvana to re-market.
Brad Wirz
A 20+ year agency veteran, Brad leads strategy and creative for experiential marketing agency Encore Worldwide. He spearheads Encore’s use of data to help its clients make better decisions before, during and after each campaign. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, Brad lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Eileen.
