NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND
The Brief
Across multiple NBA All-Star Weekends, Chase Freedom's Cashback Courts entered a new city with the same challenge: earn attention during basketball's biggest weekend by creating something fans couldn't experience anywhere else.
The assignment was to balance immersive design with unforgettable programming—building a destination where fandom wasn't just celebrated, it was lived.
info & credits
BRAND: Chase Freedom
EVENT NAME: Cashback Courts
LOCATION: All-Star Weekend SF Bay Area ('25) l Los Angeles '26
AGENCY: Think-True
CONTENT CREDIT: Think True
ROLE: Creative Director for Live Event & Pre/Post Campaign
ACCOUNT LEAD: Alisha Bryant
ART DIRECTOR: Laura Hansen
PRESS: COMPLEX, Billboard, SF Chronicle, Revolt TV
pre-event campaign
Finding the Audience: Every All-Star city has its own rhythm. I mapped fan hotspots, cultural moments, and traffic patterns to identify where Cashback Courts could naturally break through the noise.
Designing the Rollout: From paid and organic social to motion graphics, OOH, and talent reveals, I helped shape a campaign that balanced strategic visibility with just enough surprise to keep fans wanting more.
Beyond the Venue: Mobile trucks, pop-up moments, and citywide media extended the experience into the streets, turning the campaign itself into the first activation.
unlimited basketball
Courts with Character: Every Cashback Court was designed around a different brand story, giving each space its own personality, gameplay, and visual identity while creating a journey through Chase Freedom's cashback offerings.
Digital Meets Hardwood: Every event balanced technology with tradition—pairing immersive digital courts, evolving graphics, and interactive gameplay with hardwood courts built for live competition, programming, and unforgettable basketball moments.
Designed for the City: Rather than dropping the same event into a new market, each environment responded to its surroundings. From framing the San Francisco skyline to drawing inspiration from LA's architecture, every venue became part of the experience.
OFF COURT
The Arrival: Every event opened with a player-inspired tunnel walk, using lighting, music, and bold graphics to make guests feel like they were stepping into All-Star Weekend.
Beyond the Game: From merch collaborations and customization stations to shareable photo moments, every activation celebrated the culture surrounding basketball while subtly connecting back to Chase Freedom's cashback categories.
Festival Grounds: Food, retail, and community spaces rounded out the footprint, turning Cashback Courts into a destination where basketball, fashion, music, and culture naturally came together.
THE MOMENTS
Built programming around one simple idea: you should never know who's about to step onto Cashback Courts.
Moments, Not Appearances: Curated cultural moments like the Love & Basketball reunion with Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, alongside surprise appearances from Stephen Curry and Kevin Hart that felt authentic to each host city.
Fandom Meets Talent: Blended everyday fan competitions with legends and creators, pairing guests like Chris Paul, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Lethal Shooter directly alongside participants as coaches, commentators, and competitors.
Culture Always On: Programmed the court as a live content platform with moments like 7PM in Brooklyn hosted by Carmelo Anthony, while leaving room to capitalize on unexpected celebrity and influencer drop-ins without losing the energy of the event.
Takeaway: The best live programming leaves room for the unplanned. Build a strong framework, then let fandom, talent, and the moment take it somewhere you couldn't have scripted.
