CeraVe's strategic priority was to drive growth by changing consumer behavior and recruiting new households into the brand, particularly men and consumers of color, two demographics historically under-indexed in the skincare category. This required making body moisturization matter to people who’d never prioritized it. Despite CeraVe's position as the #1 mass skincare brand in the U.S., growth had begun to slow, reinforcing the urgency of reaching beyond our existing audience. CeraVe is known for its cultural fluency, driving consumer awareness and education through edutainment-style campaigns. But the brand needed a disruptive way to break through with this demographic, while keeping its medical roots as the #1 dermatologist-recommended skincare brand. The opportunity came from culture itself. Since 2021, the internet had been trolling Kevin Durant's dry ankles. The 2021 viral photo spawned countless memes, podcast segments, and fan commentary, and the conversation had never died down. When CeraVe announced its NBA partnership as the league's Official Skincare and Haircare Partner in October 2025, fans flooded the brand's X and Instagram comments demanding a partnership with KD. When Durant himself admitted on a December 2025 podcast that he didn't moisturize, the moment was impossible to ignore. Cerave’s NBA partnership gave us access to basketball culture, including courtside activations, athlete relationships, and All-Star Weekend. It also provided a direct line to the league's largest viewer demographics: men and skin of color communities: the exact households the brand needed to recruit. KD was the cultural key that could unlock them.