Lunazul Tequila, a part of Heaven Hill Brands, is looking to deepen its connection with the NBA via team partnerships and as the exclusive sponsor of “The Big Podcast with Shaq.” The brand initially partnered with the Detroit Pistons in 2024 and added partnerships with the Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and San Antonio Spurs in July. Aspects of the partnerships include in-arena branding, specialty cocktails, social media content and more.
Accompanying the partnerships is a sustained connected TV and national media presence on platforms such as HBO Max, Hulu, ESPN and YouTube TV. The “The Big Podcast with Shaq” sponsorship includes social media integration, live reads and custom segments. Additionally, Lunazul will run a sweepstakes to give fans the chance to win a trip to a game in one of the brand’s partner markets. Consumers will be able to enter via social media or with QR codes at point of sale.
Along with Lunazul, Heaven Hill Brands owns Evan Williams Bourbon, Tequila Ocho and Deep Eddy vodka, among other liquor brands. Evan Williams is also focused on sports marketing, partnering with media and technology firm Learfield around college athletics.
In recent months, Heaven Hill has been actively bolstering its business, appointing two Stagwell shops, Mono and Assembly, as its agencies of record in July. The shops will oversee creative and media, respectively, for Heaven Hill’s brands. The company also recently refreshed its corporate branding and opened a new Louisville office. In September, it cut the ribbon on a new $200 million Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, a facility with a starting capacity of 150,000 barrels a year and the ability to scale to 450,000.
The focus on Lunazul gives Heaven Hill an opportunity to take advantage of an ongoing surge in the tequila market, with the spirit overtaking both vodka and American whiskey in restaurant and bar sales. The brand’s expanded NBA presence also reflects how alcohol marketing in sports is moving beyond beer. Spirit giant Diageo signed a multiyear partnership with the NFL in 2021, which includes brands such as Smirnoff Vodka, Crown Royal Canadian Whisky and Captain Morgan Spiced Rum.
