The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt by communities across the U.S., with some hurt more than others. For those that struggled most, maintaining usable spaces for kids to be active and play was a significant challenge. In line with Icy Hot’s purpose to “Help Everybody Rise from Pain,” the brand saw an opportunity to drive change, in partnership with The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, and introduced Comebaq Courts, a purpose-driven campaign created to help underserved communities get back in the game with refurbished basketball courts.
In 2021, Icy Hot unveiled its first-ever “Comebaq Court” – a court located within an underserved community in Las Vegas that needed TLC. We unveiled our first Comebaq Court in partnership with the City of Las Vegas at a ribbon-cutting event well attended with media and local leaders. Shaq and Icy Hot even partnered on (and have since delivered) the gift of 100 laptops to the young athletes.
As an extension of our partnership with the Shaquille O'Neal Foundation in 2021, Icy Hot is continuing to leverage its brand purpose equity in helping communities that are economically underserved “Rise Up” to give young athletes the access and opportunity to play sports.
This June, we kicked off a trifecta of court unveilings with a new Comebaq Court in Newark (Shaq’s hometown!), helping young athletes in New Jersey Get Back in the Game.
In Newark, we created an exciting and memorable event, right in Sanofi’s backyard, that involved local government officials like Mayor Ras J. Baraka, representatives from the Newark school system and local organizations, as well as local high school athletes. Shaq was thrilled to support these student athletes, a direct tie-in to his Foundation’s mission.
- 2.1B earned impressions
- 150+ media hits including, ESPN, Access Hollywood, Complex, Cheddar News as well as local and national TV, including NJ 101.5, FOX 5, WMUR-TV.