Auto reseller CarMax enjoys benefits of dedicated WNBA, NWSL sponsorship

The GIST: CarMax is scoring glowing reviews after its latest viral ad starring WNBA royalty — but the popularity boost is more than just good luck. CarMax CMO Sarah Lane chatted with The GIST this week to discuss how the brand’s dedicated women’s sports strategy over the past five years has paid off. Never settle.

The WNBA strategy: CarMax’s foray into women’s sports began in 2020 when the brand became the official auto retailer of the NBA and WNBA, a first for the women’s league. Since then, CarMax has partnered with three WNBA teams and became a WNBA Changemaker in 2023.

• Lane explained CarMax wanted in on basketball because its business was moving from brick and mortar to omnichannel and knew the sport had a young, diverse audience. “I don't think it was rocket science,” Lane said about activating with W athletes. “If we're gonna [work with the NBA], then we would do the women's side as well.”

The NWSL partnership: In 2022, the brand became the league’s first auto retail partner in a multiyear deal. It also made CarMax the presenting sponsor of the NWSL Shield, allowing the company to double the prize pool for Shield winners and team up with Tiffany & Co. to revamp the Shield trophy this year. Look, something shiny!.

The payoff: Thanks to its longtime presence in the space, CarMax capitalized on A’ja Wilson’s WNBA MVP award in its latest commercial, and was also the first brand to utilize dual lock-up logos at the end of its spots — a trend other W sponsors are now embracing, per Lane.

• Plus, when tracking brand affinity for its sports partnerships, CarMax saw “bigger upticks” among women’s sports fans compared to men’s, including 20% more from WNBA fans versus NBA ones. On social media, it got 700K impressions from 2024 WNBA All-Star content and an ad from its “Never Settle” campaign has over 12K views on YouTube.

Zooming out: CarMax’s efforts don’t exist in a vacuum — Lane noted CarMax has learned crucial strategy from fellow brands in the women’s sports sponsorship space, like Ally. These companies’ success show that partnerships can be synergistic opportunities where the brand gets way more out of the deal than revenue alone. Driving to the hoop.