When broadcasters kept mispronouncing UConn basketball star Adama Sanogo’s name as Sunoco, we had to do something. But restrictive visa laws meant we couldn’t do an NIL deal. We figured out a way to do it.

Details (few sentences):
Brands never know when an opportunity may present itself. For Sunoco, a 100-year-old gas station brand, that moment came during the 2023 March Madness tournament — in the form of 6’ 9” UConn power forward Adama Sanogo.

As the tournament progressed, UConn emerged as a favorite. And all eyes were on Sanogo — as broadcasters like Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith repeatedly mispronounced his name as “Sunoco.” A pop culture gift, right? Alas, there was one big hurdle: outdated visa laws kept international students like Sanogo from capitalizing on the NIL deals domestic students were reveling in. If we approached Sanogo, we could jeopardize his status and UConn’s championship run.

So how to take advantage of this moment when legally, we couldn’t?

We had to figure it out, and fast, because the tournament end would soon be upon us.