Shannon x Ro
The 7th Annual Awards
- Most Creative Partnership with an Athlete or Influencer
ABOUT THIS ENTRY
Ro is a men’s health company providing treatments for weight loss, hair loss, sexual health, fertility, and skin. The brand tapped Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson, two former NFL athletes and hosts of sports commentary podcast Nightcap, to promote their product, Ro Sparks, a fast-acting treatment for longer-lasting erections and better sex. The brand partnership involved ad-reads on the Nightcap podcast, social content, and live activations at Nightcap Summer Sessions, the show’s first-ever live tour.
How does this represent "Excellence in Engagement"?
This partnership showed how Nightcap’s audience doesn’t just tune in for the live show but stays engaged across different platforms, keeping the conversation (and Ro) in circulation. Whether through ad-reads, social content, or live events, the collaboration didn’t just introduce the product—it made it part of the Nightcap world, keeping the audience entertained while driving real results. By providing fans with multiple avenues to engage with the brand across digital and physical spaces, Shannon and Chad truly made the most of this partnership.
Objective
As former professional athletes and NFL champions, Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson serve as strong advocates for men’s health and are widely admired by fans, making them suitable spokespeople for Ro. Spurring open and honest discourse about sex can be difficult— it requires bravery and authenticity from those leading it. Shannon and Chad leaned on their candid humor to turn a potentially uncomfortable conversation about sexual health and pleasure into an engaging brand partnership across their podcasts, social content, and live activations. The objective was to tap into Shannon and Chad’s personalities and unique dynamic to break down the barriers around sex discourse and keep the partnership authentic and fun.
Strategy & Execution
With the ad-reads and social content serving as more informative assets within the campaign, the activation strived to create a fun brand experience for Nightcap fans, targeting brand awareness and affinity KPIs. Talking about sexual health and pleasure can be awkward, so the Nightcap team’s goal was to have a relaxed conversation about the tough topic and discuss the products in an approachable way for fans.
Nightcap is a destination for sports and entertainment fans, so, the hosts tied Ro naturally into the fun with a game segment called “Sex or Next” at their live show in Atlanta. Audience members were asked to share their sexiest ideas to spice up the bedroom, to which Shannon and Chad responded “sex” as a stamp of approval or “next” if they weren’t on board. While the audience took a moment to warm up, the segment turned out to be a hilarious and memorable brand experience for audience members.
Organizations
- Shay Shay Media
- Ro
- The Volume
Links
Featured
- Shannon Sharpe
- Chad Johnson
- Cam Newton
- Terrell Owens
- Sterling Sharpe
Credits
Ashleigh Arnim
Head of Content, Shay Shay Media & Executive Producer
Shay Shay Media
Aaron Lorick
Executive Producer
Shay Shay Media
Jacod Hazzard
Director
Shay Shay Media
Cristian Hunter
Director
Shay Shay Media
Celebrate in NYC
Join us for the 7th Annual Hashtag Sports Awards™ on the evening of June 24, 2025 as we celebrate finalists and reveal the winners of this year's awards live during the show.