Column: Finally, the NBA has an official skincare partner
The 80th NBA season kicks off next week, and for the first time in more than 20 years there will be no king.
LeBron James, the league’s biggest player, will be sidelined until at least mid-November due to a sciatica on his right side. For the Lakers, the news is terrible. Since King James brought his talents to Los Angeles in 2018, the team has won 60% of the games it has played and only 42% of the games it has not won. As for what the star’s absence means for the league, which begins without him for the first time since 2002, it is another reminder that no matter how great the star is, Father Time is undefeated.
One day, the 40-year-old James will retire, and the league will have a new face.
And apparently great looking skin too.
That’s because CeraVe, one of the world’s top skincare brands, and the NBA announced a multi-year partnership this month. So, if you think star players are shining brighter this season than ever before, this is probably why.
In addition to using players and social media influencers to promote healthy skin care practices on social media and at league events, CeraVe products will be in locker rooms. Not only does this partnership help James and company shake off criticism that the league has become weak over the years, but it ensures that no player has to play with gray elbows again.
More importantly for the league’s longevity, it expands the NBA’s global appeal through lifestyle branding.
In 2023, men spent nearly $14 billion on skin care products globally. By 2030, this number is expected to nearly double. And since men are expected to moisturize more skin anyway, the NBA — a league with the skimpiest uniforms of any major sports league in America — has to be in the skin game.
“At CeraVe, we are extremely pleased to join forces with the NBA because, like them, we believe in supporting performance and well-being,” Esther Garcia, CeraVe’s U.S. general manager, said in a press release, adding that the partnership “is an exciting opportunity to reach a truly unparalleled audience — an audience that is passionate, engaged, and incredibly diverse, and that truly values performance, especially when it comes to a barrier.” Skin, from head to toe.”
The skin is our largest organ, so wanting to take care of it should come naturally – but that doesn’t seem to be the case, especially for men. Using NBA players isn’t a bad way to draw attention to some healthy habits. In fact, former Laker Anthony Davis has been a spokesperson for the company for years, and former Laker Danny Green is also starring in social media posts promoting the partnership.
If that sounds like it’s out of reach, just remember that Hans used Michael Jordan’s catchy and popular song to convince American men to buy the brand’s underwear. So, yeah, I’d say it’s a smart bet for CeraVe to think a full complement of good-looking men could give the company an edge over its skincare competition.
It’s a very global market: South Asia accounts for 52% of the sector, and the NBA has spent more than 30 years developing the sport in this part of the world. So, even if most of America’s gym rats don’t care if their ankles look like baked clay, there are plenty of other markets to make this partnership worthwhile.
However, my favorite part of this story has to do with what Garcia said about the power of diversity.
CeraVe started in 2005, the same year James made his All-Star debut, and was acquired by L’Oreal in 2017. However, while James’ popularity predates the NBA, the skincare company didn’t get much attention until Hiram Yarbrough, a budding makeup artist, started sharing product reviews on TikTok during the pandemic.
His posts were not only fun, but informative, explaining why the products’ ingredients were effective in treating dry or acne-prone skin. So, while Facebook ads and TV ads were focused on wrinkle and dark spot removal ads, his social media posts spoke the language of Generation Z when it came to skin care.
Today, CeraVe is worth more than $1 billion, and we won’t have to see knees that look so much like tree bark because Yarbro — a gay man who grew up as a Mormon rancher in Arizona — said the company’s products were great. Talk about the benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion.
YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow