How the NFL Draft Became a Brand Playground for American Express, Heinz, and Lowe’s

The NFL Draft came by last week in Pittsburgh, PA and brands showed up big time.

Brands are increasingly treating the NFL Draft as a major marketing stage, showing up with large-scale activations, immersive fan experiences and new sponsorship plays designed to capture attention well beyond the picks themselves.

Compared to three years ago, when brand presence was more limited and largely media-focused, the Draft has evolved into a full-fledged experiential moment, with marketers recognizing its growing cultural weight and audience reach. For the casual audience and even marketers, it is starting to rival the Super Bowl in terms of visibility and engagement, particularly among younger and more digitally active fans.

Among the brands leaning into this shift were Lowe’s, HEINZ and American Express, each bringing distinct activations and sponsorship strategies to the Draft stage.

Lowe’s Brings “Earn Your Sunday” to the NFL Draft

As the official home improvement sponsor of the National Football League, Lowe’s made its first-ever appearance with this type of activation at the NFL Draft, bringing its “Earn Your Sunday” campaign to life in an interactive, hands-on format. Rather than a traditional display, the brand invited fans to actively engage with real home improvement tasks and products in an unexpected but on-brand setting.

The activation centered around a fully deployable, expandable trailer designed to deliver an immersive experience, marking a notable departure from typical event setups. Executing the concept required extensive coordination across design, engineering, and fabrication teams. The effort supported a broader national tour spanning more than 23,000 miles and over 28 stops, aimed at connecting with fans both at the Draft and in local communities across the country.

Gerardo Soto, Vice President of Media and Sports Marketing at Lowe’s, said the company aims to enhance the fan journey by connecting home improvement activities such as prepping, hosting, and completing projects to the reward of enjoying game day. Soto added that Lowe’s is positioned to lead in this space by creating experiences that are both engaging and practical and aligned with what customers rely on the brand for.

Looking ahead, Soto described the partnership with the National Football League as a long-term platform focused on expanding the Earn Your Sunday Tour, deepening fan engagement, and strengthening connections between the NFL experience, local stores, and communities, while recognizing that the NFL Draft is growing to rival the scale of the Super Bowl.

“The NFL Draft has quickly evolved into one of the league’s most dynamic tentpole events, offering brands a powerful way to engage all 32 fanbases in one place. Compared to the Super Bowl, it provides a more accessible and inclusive environment, making it easier to connect with a broader and more diverse audience while still introducing Lowe’s to new fans,” said Soto. “That opportunity proved beneficial in our first year at the Draft Experience, where more than 7,200 fans engaged with our activation, reinforcing how effective interactive, immersive experiences can help build strong connections.”

This year’s NFL Draft drew a record breaking 800,000 fans. It broke the previous record set in Detroit, MI of 775,000 attendees in 2024. As turnout continues to climb year over year, the scale of the Draft is reinforcing its status as one of the league’s most important fan-facing platforms.

Lowe’s was not alone. Heinz also made its NFL Draft debut this year, using the moment as a launchpad for its newly announced partnership with the league. Kicking things off in Pittsburgh, the brand built a localized, high-impact presence around the Draft that extended well beyond the event itself. Beyond the NFL Draft, Heinz aims to maintain momentum throughout the season by aligning its social strategy with key game day moments, showing up in ways that connect its products to how fans actually watch, eat and engage with football.

Draft Week Becomes a Launchpad for Heinz’s NFL Strategy

At this year’s NFL Draft, Heinz treated the moment as more than a traditional sponsorship, using it as a full funnel marketing play rooted in culture and context. Tapping into its ties to Pittsburgh, the brand showed up with more than 150 out of home placements across the city, a branded barge outside Acrisure Stadium, a takeover of the 57th draft pick, and local restaurant partnerships alongside a nationwide Uber Eats promotion.

Jamie Mack, Associate Director of Brand Communications for Heinz U.S, said This year’s Draft was just the start, as Heinz continues creating more distinctive football-focused moments for fans.

“The NFL Draft is built on individual stories, making it the perfect moment for Heinz to authentically spotlight one player,” said Mack. “We leaned into the ketchup bottle’s iconic “57” to celebrate “Mr. 57,” rewarding a standout pick who might not otherwise get that level of recognition. It also required agility as we didn’t know who Mr. 57 would be, but we aligned early on how we’d honor him once the pick was made.”

This was all on display starting at the NFL Draft red carpet.Devin Hester, the former 57th pick, showed up in a custom Mr. 57 jacket. The Draft offered a more localized and immersive stage than tentpoles like the Super Bowl, while also serving as the first major activation following Kraft Heinz’s NFL partnership announcement.

Inside American Express’ First NFL Fan Activation

American Express used the event as its first major fan-facing moment as the league’s new Official Payments Partner, introducing attendees to its focus on access, premium experiences and card member perks. As presenting sponsor of the 2026 NFL Draft Experience, the brand built out a multi-layered activation that included an interactive Amex Fan Experience outside Acrisure Stadium, where fans could create personalized Draft profiles, player portraits and custom rookie cards.

Card members had access to a dedicated lounge featuring local dishes from Dave Anoia, along with premium seating and appearances, while additional elements like custom hat stations with Fanatics and priority event access reinforced the brand’s emphasis on elevated, experience-driven engagement.

Shiz Suzuki, VP of Global Brand Sponsorships and Experiential Marketing at American Express, said the brand set out to elevate the NFL Draft experience by creating more ways for fans to participate, expanding access, and placing card members at the center. She noted the Draft’s unique role in the calendar, drawing strong fan interest both in the offseason and during the season, making it a valuable opportunity to reach a broader and more diverse audience.

“We’re focused on showing up across the full NFL calendar, not just one moment, but with experiences that bring fans closer to the game,” said Suzuki. “Whether it’s access to tickets, priority entry, exclusive merchandise, or on-site activations, it’s all designed to make the fan experience more rewarding.”

Rather than comparing it to the size of the Super Bowl, Suzuki positioned the Draft as a different kind of moment, one built on anticipation, discovery and future talent, where fans can engage more directly through immersive, multi-day experiences and content creation.

Suzuki added that with more than 70% of American Express’ U.S. consumer card members identifying as NFL fans, the partnership allows the brand to tap into the league’s scale while delivering meaningful value to both card members and the wider fan base.