Our Sales Leads column discusses the latest brand and media agency initiatives. View past columns in the archives here.
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Audi
Audi of America and Major League Soccer (MLS) announced a multi-year extension of their partnership, marking the next chapter in a decade-long collaboration. United by a shared passion for performance, the agreement strengthens Audi’s role as the League’s Official Automotive Partner. It deepens the brand’s presence in MLS’s most competitive moments, from postseason matches to marquee player honors. Under the agreement, Audi will continue as Major League Soccer’s Official Automotive Partner, Title Sponsor of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, and Presenting Sponsor of the MLS Golden Boot, MLS Cup MVP, and MLS Cup. Audi’s support will also extend through its role as the presenting sponsor of the Team of the Matchday digital series and as an official partner of the MLS All-Star Game, reinforcing its presence throughout the season and its connection to standout moments and players.
“Audi has a longstanding commitment to soccer globally and we’re proud to extend that commitment in the U.S. through our continued partnership with MLS,” said Daniel Weissland, president of Audi of America. “This collaboration has allowed us to connect with a new generation of fans who are driven, passionate, and diverse, while celebrating performance on the pitch, on the road, and in communities where the game thrives.” To celebrate the milestone, Audi debuted a 30-second spot titled “The Assist” during the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs Wild Card Matches on October 22. Featuring the RS e-tron GT performance, Audi’s most powerful and quickest accelerating production vehicle, as a star player among top League talent. “The Assist” will air exclusively on Apple TV through the MLS Cup presented by Audi on December 6. Audi continues its presence in MLS through local partnerships with clubs including Inter Miami CF, D.C. United, Orlando City SC, San Jose Earthquakes, Sporting Kansas City, Columbus Crew, and New York Red Bulls. The brand also holds naming rights to Audi Field in Washington, D.C., reinforcing its long-term support for the sport and the communities near its U.S. headquarters.
CHECK OUT what other brands are investing in U.S. soccer marketing and advertising!
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National Pork Board
The National Pork Board selected LERMA to lead efforts to deepen pork’s relevance and boost demand among Hispanic consumers in the U.S. This partnership reflects a clear, future-focused vision to place pork at the forefront of a vibrant and fast-changing market. After a national selection process led by consultant JLB + Partners, LERMA/, a cross-cultural agency that serves clients as lead AOR or multicultural AOR, stood out for its cultural depth, strategic precision, and proven approach to redefining how pork connects with Hispanic families and traditions. “To drive demand and deliver results for our 60,000 pork producers, we set out to find a partner with deep cultural insight, sharp strategic thinking, bold creative vision and the courage to break convention,” said José de Jesús, AVP, Consumer Marketing at the National Pork Board. “This partnership lays the foundation for long-term growth in one of the most dynamic and influential markets in the U.S.” LERMA/ will craft and execute a campaign that speaks directly to the heart of Hispanic culture – celebrating heritage, family, shared experiences, and the role pork plays in their lives. The agency will lead creative, strategy, social and paid media to engage Hispanic Millennial and Gen Z consumers and strengthen pork’s relevance among them. The campaign is set to launch in Q1 2026.
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Sprouts Farmers Market
Grocery retailer Sprouts Farmers Market announced it has entered seven new Name, Image & Likeness (NIL) agreements spanning women’s sports. The aim is to support female athletes and expand their marketing/brand opportunities in collegiate athletic spaces. The initiative reflects growing emphasis on women’s sports and a brand’s commitment to inclusion and tapping emerging athlete-marketing opportunities. “Sprouts is proud to be the first natural retailer to invest in women’s collegiate athletics – empowering female athletes, fueling their performance and celebrating their impact in the communities we serve,” said Alisa Gmelich, CMO, Sprouts. Since 2022, Sprouts has partnered with over 165 female athletes at more than 30 universities. The new athlete class includes standout names from basketball (Lauren and Sienna Betts), soccer, softball, volleyball, and track. The NIL athletes will share their personal connection to Sprouts and how the brand supports their health and performance through nutrition, via social channels, in-store, etc. Sprouts’ goal is to build a differentiated brand identity around women’s sports, health & nutrition—leveraging its grocery/natural foods portfolio. Grocery/retail brands investing in sports partnerships and NIL deals is a trend; Sprouts is positioning as a first-mover among natural grocers in women’s athletics.
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FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha)
The Lacek Group (a marketing/advertising agency) has been appointed as the agency of record by FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) for its credit-card marketing activities. Lacek Group will handle FNBO’s credit-card brand communications, strategy, and creative in a full-service capacity. The selection highlights FNBO’s intent to elevate its credit card marketing and Lacek’s credentials in financial services marketing.
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TJX
TJX, the parent company of retailers like T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, has selected Publicis to handle its media buying and planning account. WPP Media previously managed TJX. They spent under $100 million on advertising in digital and national TV in the last year.
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Crescent Hotels & Resorts
Konnect Agency has been named the agency of record for Crescent Hotels & Resorts, a hospitality company. The mandate covers brand strategy, creative execution, and marketing initiatives across Crescent’s hotel/resort portfolio. The move indicates Crescent’s focus on strengthening its brand presence/facing communications via a dedicated agency partner.
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Chief Media
In an interview with Portada, Anthony Baum, Director of Data Science, NYC-based performance marketing agency Chief Media, asserts that TV consistently performs well as a top-of-funnel acquisition play. Chief Media has active clients including FreshPet, Beyond Yoga, Albanese, Force Factor, and Anthem.
Learn about Portada events scheduled for 2026. Portada events are highly curated events. Their agenda is designed to maximize knowledge-sharing and networking among top brand marketers, media agencies, and media executives.
Portada Chicago, March 19, 2026
Portada Live, CDMX, Abril 16,
Portada Los Angeles, June 4
Portada Live, NYC, September 17
To learn more about thought leadership and networking solutions for the above events, please get in touch with Marcos Baer at [email protected].
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FPT Corporation
FPT Corporation, a Vietnam-based tech solutions provider, has been elevated to Principal Partner of Chelsea FC for the 2025/26 season.
Under this expanded deal, FPT’s branding will appear on the sleeves of Chelsea’s men’s, women’s, and academy kits. The partnership builds on earlier work this year; FPT and Chelsea have jointly worked on digital transformation, fan-engagement platforms, business operations, and emerging technologies. The move underscores Chelsea’s focus on technology and innovation, as well as digital transformation. “This partnership also reflects our enduring commitment to excellence, as a trusted digital partner in the UK’s innovation landscape and for global enterprises alike.” — Pham Minh Tuan, Executive VP & CEO, FPT Software.
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Venu
Live entertainment and hospitality company Venu launched a national television/streaming ad campaign (starting Oct 15 through Nov 15) on FOX, FOX Business, CNBC, Peacock and Newsmax to promote its Luxe FireSuites. The campaign positions the FireSuites as unique/luxury items, aiming to elevate the brand’s profile and reach a broader audience. The move signals Venu leveraging mass marketing to scale and promote a differentiated product line in a competitive category. The campaign is designed to accelerate investor interest and broaden awareness of their ownership model in live-entertainment real estate, not just ticketing. By broadcasting to primary audiences, VENU is moving beyond niche to a mass-market investment advertising.
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Brand USA
Brand USA (the U.S. national tourism marketing organization) has launched a global tourism campaign named “America The Beautiful” at the Travel Week UK/Europe 2025 event. The campaign targets international markets to boost inbound tourism to the U.S. and thereby strengthen its economic impact. “Every element, from powerful creative storytelling to AI-powered planning tools, is designed to inspire travellers to see America in new ways and to turn that inspiration into action,” said Leah Chandler, CMO, Brand USA.. The campaign rollout spans CTV, streaming, out-of-home, digital/social, across nine priority markets (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, UK). The initiative also involves the launch of a digital planning hub — AmericaTheBeautiful.com (AI-powered, 8 languages, interactive maps, itinerary tools).
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Norseland
Cheese brand Jarlsberg® is being reintroduced with a bold new campaign, refreshed look, and a renewed commitment to helping more people discover — or rediscover — the flavor and versatility of the cheese, Deli Market News reports. “With more cheese varieties and formats available than ever before, this is a pivotal opportunity to stake claim for Jarlsberg’s position as the anchor to the category. It’s the cheese that consumers love and retailers count on. We are embarking on a journey to make the brand relevant again and unlock a new chapter with a consumer-first, agile, solution-based mindset that helps grow the category. We have an all-new leadership team that is energized to forge this path ahead.” The campaign was created by One Horizon, the full service creative agency within Horizon Media. One Horizon, was appointed the company’s agency of record in 2025 to lead the cheese brand into its next era of growth and cultural resonance. It includes online video, paid social, search, shopper marketing and influencer marketing. The campaign is launching this October in three markets with a digital rollout and plans to expand more broadly in 2026.
