With McDonald’s already an official sponsor of the NBA and the league saturated with QSR brands, KFC needed to find a unique way to connect with basketball fans – one that didn’t rely on a sponsorship deal. As the underdog in this space, we turned to something our competitors couldn’t compete with: our iconic tagline. From the free-throw line to a clutch three-pointer, finger-licking has always been an unspoken part of basketball celebrations. And as the brand that’s been synonymous with "finger lickin’ good" since 1952, KFC saw an opportunity to own a piece of basketball culture by becoming the first brand to turn a basketball celebration into a national fan engagement movement. Rather than investing in an expensive sponsorship deal, we created our own – KFC’s Finger Lickin’ Open Endorsement. This was an endorsement deal open to everyone, from streamers and rec league players to die-hard basketball fans. To kick things off, we infiltrated the NBA without spending a dime on sponsorships by placing our most valuable brand asset, Colonel Sanders, at the Raptors vs. Pacers game alongside basketball’s elite shooting coach, Lethal Shooter. The guerrilla stunt grabbed national headlines for its boldness and made KFC a top-trending topic, outshining McDonald’s, a paying sponsor of the NBA. From there, the campaign took on a life of its own. Fans, streamers, and rec league players across the country embraced the “finger lickin’ good” celebration. NCAA athletes showcased it on the national stage during March Madness, and even NBA sensation, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks performed the Finger Lickin’ Good Celly during a televised game against the Rockets – cementing KFC as a cultural force in basketball. By connecting our iconic tagline to the world of basketball and leaning into our bold, unapologetic DNA, KFC embedded itself into basketball culture without spending a single sponsorship dollar—proving that the best endorsements are often the ones money can’t buy.