For the first time on Mozambican soil, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is teaming up with a drinks brand to launch a large-scale campaign. It is Castle Lite — a brand of the AB InBev group, represented locally by Cervejas de Moçambique (CDM) — which officially presented, on the campus of Eduardo Mondlane University, a strategic partnership with the world's most prestigious basketball league.
Under the concept Lite Side of the Court, the initiative goes far beyond traditional marketing. The aim is clear: to position Castle Lite as an agent of cultural transformation, using basketball as a starting point to talk about lifestyle, inclusion, youth and authenticity.
A launch planned down to the detail
The presentation event was conceived as a true celebration of courtside culture. Influencers, journalists, athletes, artists and CDM's business partners came together in a carefully crafted atmosphere: a space with jersey customisation, interactive challenges, visual activations and live performances.
“This partnership is a milestone. We want to offer the Mozambican public not just a brand, but an experience that connects sport, attitude and authenticity,” said Galo Rivera, Managing Director of CDM. Alongside him, Milton Caifaz, a young talent in national basketball and Castle Lite brand ambassador, reinforced the commitment to bringing the NBA universe closer to Mozambican reality.
The promise: taking Mozambicans to Abu Dhabi
At the heart of the campaign is a dream prize and experience: the chance to attend, with everything paid for, an official NBA pre-season game in Abu Dhabi. An aspirational wish for many. Participants can enter by buying a Castle Lite, scanning the QR code on top of the bottle cap, and following the instructions on the website. They can also enjoy more experiences at various points of sale.
A campaign in three stages: launch, engage, transform
The strategy unfolds in three phases: Launch, Engage and Experience. After the launch come activations on social media and at points of sale, events, videos with influencers and challenges such as the Bucket Shot Challenge, where consumers can win prizes by sinking a basket when buying Castle Lite.
The tone of the campaign is relaxed, but not superficial. It mixes humour, style, self-expression and cultural pride, with digital content in which the protagonists try to pronounce names such as “Giannis Antetokounmpo” or put together looks inspired by NBA stars. The moments are captured on video and spread on social media with the official hashtag: #LiteSideOfTheCourt.
The brand is also investing in urban visibility, with advertising in high-traffic areas of Maputo, Beira and Nampula, and on sports and entertainment television programmes, where the presenters will appear with looks inspired by the NBA universe.
A new generation, a new way to raise a glass
With this partnership, Castle Lite reinforces its position as a global brand with an active presence in the local context. Its link with the NBA reflects a generation that lives sport as an integral part of culture — an experience expressed in the way people dance, dress, think and consume, with rhythms that are increasingly cross-cutting and connected.
This campaign comes as a boost to the visibility of young talent, promoting approaches marked by ambition, creativity and a desire to grow, while inviting the public to celebrate the game with lightness, freshness and freedom — values with which Castle Lite identifies and seeks to amplify.
