Learfield, Zips Car Wash announce first-of-its-kind NIL campaign

The GIST: Car wash company Zips and college sports marketing consultancy Learfield are consciously coupling. Zips, with Learfield’s help, launched a multi-pronged name, image and likeness (NIL) campaign with 13 schools yesterday in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between the consultancy and a brand. The NIL game changes again and again.

The exclusivity: Zips will enjoy category exclusivity with six of the 13 schools — Arkansas, Baylor, Georgia, UNC, South Carolina and Tennessee — all of whose athletics multimedia rights are already represented by Learfield.

• Additionally, the company will ink individual NIL deals with athletes from Arkansas, UNC and Tennessee for its “Car Wash Convos” series, where players will be interviewed while going through a Zips car wash. Talking at the car wash, yeah.

The insights: The remaining seven schools — Duke, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Louisville, Memphis, Oklahoma and TCU — will increase Zips’ brand visibility across assets like intellectual property, radio, social and Learfield’s digital product, Fan365.

• Fan365 provides detailed fan data to brands, like an individual’s recent clicks, purchases or website visits. The tech will help the car wash company connect with fans through bottom-of-funnel marketing that should drive them (and their dirty cars) to Zips.

Zooming out: Though schools have started employing their own NIL specialists, Learfield’s innovative collaboration with Zips marks a unique example of a brand working with their own NIL consultants to develop and execute college sports sponsorships. NIL experts are en vogue.

• And the partnership doesn’t end there. Learfield will also help Zips select which NCAA athletes would be best for the company’s roster.