The Denver Nuggets, competing for their first NBA championship, have a major sponsor in Ball Corp., one of the world's largest aluminium can manufacturers. Ball Arena, home to the Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth, is named after the company, and Ball is excited about the exposure it is receiving.
Although the Avalanche and Mammoth both won championships last year, the Nuggets' NBA Finals appearance has generated more interest and viewership from around the world. Ball signed a long-term agreement with Kroenke Sports Entertainment (KSE), its parent company, in 2020 during the pandemic.
The company reportedly pays about $6 million per year for the naming rights. While it is difficult to quantify the return on investment, Apex Marketing Group estimates that the in-game brand exposure during the first two games in Denver alone generated $31.9 million worth of buzz, including verbal mentions and in-arena exposures during ABC broadcasts.
Emily Fong Mitchell, Ball Aluminium Cups' president and general manager, in a visual retrospective, said: "It's been so much exciting and beyond anyone's expectations of what would happen when we decided to put our name on that arena."
Ball is proud to be associated with KSE's environmental stewardship efforts, which have resulted in more than 40,000 pounds of recycled aluminium. Thanks to its Team Aluminum program, over 250 recycling bins have been placed around the arena.
This partnership enables Ball to access KSE's entire sports portfolio, including the NFL's Los Angeles Rams, the EPL's Arsenal F.C., Sofi Stadium in Englewood and Emirates Stadium in London. Ball promotes in-venue aluminium packaging and community activities and initiatives, such as introducing its environmental program to U.S. soccer fans during Arsenal's U.S. tour this summer.
Mitchell asserted: "It wasn't set up to be this arena of the future, but I think that's also a great success story. We're able to work with what they have and make it work for us."
Ball's sustainability efforts are anchored by the Ball Aluminium Cup, a consumer-facing product that is reusable, lightweight, and 100% recyclable. It is inscribed with the company's logo and has been seen in the hands of celebrities at events and on television.
Ball recently reported a first-quarter net income of $177 million, down 60% year-over-year due to inflation-driven higher costs and supply-chain disruptions. Nonetheless, its presence at Ball Arena has generated pride among its employees, many of whom are based in the Denver metro area.
Greg Schlicht, senior vice president at Novelis, which produces the aluminium cups for Ball, commented through a visual medium: "It's more of an opportunity to engage with consumers about sustainability. That, for me, is at the heart of it. You have captive audiences [in sports venues] where you can give them a message about recycling, and it resonates with folks in that space."
Ball and KSE are excited about the possibility of a championship parade and plan to distribute limited-edition aluminium cups to fans. They hope to use cups left over from last year's Avalanche championship parade.
"It's about our consumers, but it's also about our employees and our hometown," Mitchell concluded.
Though the company joined the U.N. Global Compact on sustainability for its aerospace products, its main focus is the Ball Aluminum Cup, a reusable and recyclable alternative to plastic cups. The cup features the company's logo and is popular with fans, including celebrities.
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