CeraVe says Kevin Durant campaign drove 43% sales lift and 83M organic video views
CeraVe said its Kevin Durant New Face of Legs campaign drove a 43% sales lift, according to Marketing Brew. The social-first campaign built on a viral 2021 Isaiah Thomas post about Durant's legs and included a hero video, TV placements, out-of-home media and point-of-sale promotions. CeraVe said the campaign generated more than 4.1 billion PR impressions and 83 million organic video views. Esther Garcia, general manager at CeraVe U.S., said the brand had been underindexing with men. The campaign was created with Bolded at OBB and tied back to CeraVe's position as the official skin care partner of the NBA.
THE BREAKDOWN
This is a clean case study for pricing athlete humor and social history, not just likeness. Agents should ask for a performance bonus when a campaign uses a client's old viral moments as the creative engine. Brands should budget for the platform where the athlete is already culturally fluent, as Durant's X persona made the idea work. If the campaign drives retail lift, renewal terms should reset above the original fee. Talent teams should also protect approval over jokes about the body or appearance because those can age badly without the athlete's voice.
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