Mercedes-Benz partners with Amazon Ads to launch NBA-themed Prime Video campaign, blending sports storytelling with luxury branding.
Mercedes-Benz USA is expanding its sports marketing strategy through a collaboration with Amazon Ads, launching a series of custom creative spots during Prime Video’s NBA broadcasts earlier this year.
The automaker serves as the presenting sponsor of “NBA on Prime Saturday” games for the current season, which began in October. The partnership reflects Mercedes-Benz’s broader effort to reach evolving luxury audiences through premium streaming platforms and live sports programming.
“The luxury market in the U.S. has changed dramatically,” said Melody Lee, chief marketing officer of Mercedes-Benz USA. “Audiences are diversifying, luxury buyers are skewing younger, and traditional brand engagement spaces are shrinking.”
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Storytelling Through Sports
The campaign features four short vignettes built around a playful narrative: NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki, a Prime Video analyst, goes missing from the broadcast studio. Each spot reveals the basketball icon relaxing in a parking garage inside a Mercedes-Benz GLS, highlighting features such as massage seating, advanced sound systems, ambient lighting and exterior styling.
Developed with Merkley+Partners handling strategy and PHD managing media investment, the campaign integrates product storytelling into entertainment moments during the live broadcast.
“Purchasing a luxury vehicle is an emotional experience,” Lee said. “Our goal is to connect with viewers emotionally while naturally weaving the product benefits into the story.”
Amazon Expands Sports Advertising
For Amazon, the partnership underscores the growing role of live sports in its advertising ecosystem. Streaming broadcasts provide brands with high-attention environments while allowing advertisers to extend engagement across Amazon’s broader advertising platform.
“Mercedes can experiment with branded content and build ownership in the broadcast,” said Amy McDevitt, head of sports brand partnerships at Amazon Ads. “From there, they can leverage our ad tech to continue conversations with viewers across other Amazon surfaces.”
The collaboration builds on Amazon’s earlier success with “Thursday Night Football,” which has proven effective for brand engagement. According to Amazon data from Latitude Research, 80 percent of viewers reported a more favorable opinion of brands integrated into the broadcasts.
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A Broader Entertainment Push
Beyond the Nowitzki-led spots, Mercedes-Benz also promoted its appearance in the upcoming Sony Pictures film “GOAT” through digital displays at Amazon’s Culver City studio during NBA broadcasts.
Amazon and Mercedes-Benz are planning additional activations, including a studio takeover later this month.
As streaming services increasingly compete for sports rights and advertising dollars, campaigns like this illustrate how brands are blending entertainment, storytelling and data-driven advertising to reach audiences where attention is highest.
