NBA legends and WNBA superstar Nneka Ogwumike were on hand at Art Basel in Miami to unveil the cans designed by six emerging designers.
The iconic blue and silver Michelob Ultra beer cans are getting an NBA makeover for the second year in a row. During this week’s Art Basel festivities in Miami, the league’s official beer sponsor unveiled 19 special-edition cans for 2023 designed by six rising-star creatives all meant to celebrate the joy of basketball fandom.
Designed by Jacob Rochester, Chuck Anderson, Bradley Ward, Josanna Torrocha, Eric Elms, and BigShot Robot, each can evokes the unique personality of the specific city and NBA team. Miami, for example, boasts the official logo with fiery yellow imagery across a black backdrop. The Lakers can features a gold silhouette of LeBron James in dunk formation atop purple and black scenery.
To celebrate the occasion, Michelob Ultra invited a number of NBA legends and WNBA veteran Nneka Ogwumike to compete on an interactive LED court allowing fans can choose the team they want to rep, pair together, and engage in a quick-fire shootaround.
“I just love a brand that allows expression, creativity, collaboration and innovation,” Ogwumike told Boardroom from an official unveiling party in Miami. “Michelob represents all of that. Those are kind of pillars that I try to operate on as an athlete and a businesswoman. To not only represent those things and to step into new experiences is amazing. I love a sensory overload moment, so the LED courts might be my favorite part about this entire activation.”
Nine-time NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Fame point guard Gary Payton echoed Ogwumike’s sentiments.
“Michelob always comes with creative stuff. You can go to Miami, watch the Heat play and then take home a piece of the game,” he said “Fans always want something that pops. Just like when music came to the NBA, it’s all about innovation. Now, what are people going to do? They’re going to try and collect every can. Michelob always comes with a unique campaign. There’s always going to be an elevated feel to whatever they do, and this light-up court just raises the bar.”
As a special bonus for the fans in attendance, Payton and Ogwumike competed against Hall of Fame center Alonzo Mourning and NBA skills trainer Chris Brickley at Thursday night’s unveiling. The team that hit the most amount of shots from various positions within a minute time frame were crowned champions of the evening.
Following the competition, attendees were treated to concert by Grammy Award winner 21 Savage.
“I think it’s exciting to see how the game of basketball is growing, and what better place to unveil these cans than at Art Basel,” Mourning told Boardroom. “People from around the world are in Miami enjoying Art Basel. So, I think it’s an amazing time and place to do it, and Michelob created a festive atmosphere for everyone to see the cans for themselves.”
The 2022-23 Michelob Ultra NBA team cans are available for a limited time beginning Dec. 5 at local beverage retailers and arenas in participating markets.
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