Invisalign Expands Sports Marketing Strategy Across NBA, NFL, NHL, and MLS

Invisalign has become the “Official Smile” partner of five professional sports franchises across the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS. Instead of going deep by partnering with a league and activating all of their teams, Invisalign chose to go deeper and hit some of the top performing teams in every sport. These teams include the Six-Time Super Bowl Champions, New England Patriots, 2019 NBA Champions, Toronto Raptors, Five-Time Super Bowl Champions, San Francisco 49ers, 2006 Stanley Cup Champions, Hurricanes of Carolina and the New England Revolution.

“The investments we make in these marketing relationships with winning teams are just one part of a very diverse platform designed to reach consumers where they live, work and play – online and through social media,” at live events, etc. Frank Quinn, Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the Americas at Align Technology.

The campaign focuses on raising awareness around “winning smiles” to create fan demand for Invisalign treatment in target markets.

“Partnering with teams like this is a new approach for Align Technology, and we really want to explore the opportunities and see what works best for spreading our brand,” said Quinn. “But we think working with big sports brands is a natural fit for Align.”

Kevin Hilton, vice president of corporate partnerships for the 49ers, said they are always looking to partner with brands that match both the team’s brand and as many potential connections as possible with their fans. The synergy with Invisalign begins with the fact that it is another Bay Area company.

“The way we’ve seen it, we’re both in the business of providing smiles, so with Invisalign, we’ve been targeting partnership activations that could amplify the positive nature of our two brands,” Hilton said. . “We have a unique asset in our 49ers Cal-Hi Sports Report, the nation’s most watched TV show highlighting high school sports, and Invisalign was a natural fit to support our efforts to highlight and support high school sports. High school athletes in the San Francisco Bay Area share their stories.

The Carolina Hurricanes felt the same about its compatibility with Invisalign.

“We’re always looking to partner with the ‘leader’ of a category,” said Don Waddell, team president and general manager of the Hurricanes. “Invisalign is looking to transform smiles, the Hurricanes are looking to bring smiles to our passionate fan base.”

“Align Technology has a major presence here in the Triangle and we are proud to partner with their Invisalign brand,” he adds.

When asked why Invisalign chose to work in four different sports, Quinn said the company’s marketing strategy is always evolving.

“We are entering our second year of working with professional sports teams, which provides valuable information for our consumer and professional marketing programs. We will continue to assess broader opportunities as we move forward with the great teams we are currently working with.

“Partnering with teams that have taken an omnichannel approach to marketing and brand engagement gives Align direct access to large, loyal fan bases and helps us reach individual consumers and entire families through a variety of existing fan platforms: in the stadium and through game shows, online, via social media and in each team’s local community outreach programs, ”says Quinn.

In addition to sports sponsorships, Align also recently launched a new advertising campaign for North America on major media channels expected to reach over 140 million consumers, combining a pay media strategy on major, cable TV channels. and connected with paid search and social media. Align also recently announced a multi-year national sponsorship with Life Time, a healthy lifestyle brand with sporting resorts and spa destinations across North America.