Bravo fans headed to Las Vegas to soak up BravoCon will have a number of treats in store for them thanks to sponsors, who have created on-site attractions designed to match the channel’s unique take on reality.
Bravo parent NBCUniversal has signed up 20 sponsors for BravoCon, a similar number to last year’s event in New York, with eight sponsors coming back.
“A lot of them have really built on the success that we had last year,” Sari Feinberg, senior VP, marketing, advertising & partnerships at NBCUniversal, told Broadcasting+Cable. “Some introduced new product lines, new brands.”
In addition to their on-the-ground participation in the event, all of the sponsors are TV advertising clients.
Feinberg declined to say how much revenue Bravocon sponsorships would generate, but noted “not only did we hit our goals, but we exceeded them.”
Sponsors also benefit from coverage of BravoCon on NBCU outlets. There will be a live morning show on Tik Tok every morning and a recap show that will live on Peacock. Episodes of Watch What Happens Live will be taped in Vegas and shown on Bravo. And there will be live look-ins from the event on the air and a special award show called The Bravos.
Some panels from BravoCon will be available on demand on Peacock.
“We’re making more content than ever before,” Feinberg said.
One of the returning sponsors is Lay’s. Last year, Lay’s had an area at BravoCon where attendees could sample different recipes made with potato chips inspired by some of Bravo’s Real Housewives.
“We created a lot of content from there. The tagline #Real Housewives of Lay’s was trending over the course of the weekend,”
This year, Lay’s is back as a presenting sponsor of BravoCon.
“This year they’ve done an incredible job capitalizing on the fandom around Vanderpump Rules,” she said, with Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney at the center of the Lay’s activation.
In the show, Madix and Maloney are opening a sandwich shop called Something About Her and Lay’s is releasing a sandwich-inspired chip flavor: Grilled Cheese & Tomato soup.
A version of their sandwich shop will be open to BravoCon attendees. On the menu are dishes and cocktails with Lay’s among the ingredients.
On the menu are Lay’s Born Cool As a Cucumber Cup, which uses a sturdy Lay’s Wavy chip as the base; Lay’s OMGrilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, which uses toast made with Lay’s and soup infused with Lay’s Cheddar Sour Cream and Lay’s Chocolate Chip-Duo Cookies, which are dusted and baked with crushed Lay’s.
Drink selections include Lay’s Something About Sangria, which is rim dusted with crushed Lay’s; Lay’s I Take Sandwiches Very Seriously PB&J Martini, which is rim dusted with crushed chips and a Lay’s Spice up the Drama Margarita, which is rim dusted with Lay’s Kettle Cooked Jalapeno
Bravolebrities will stop by the shop and there will be sweepstakes and merchandise giveaways.
Lay’s is also sponsoring Bravopolooza, a premium set of lunches, brunches and happy hours.
Smaller companies are also on the BravoCon bandwagon, like Studs, an ear-piercing boutique.
Studs will have a truck outside of the venue at Ceasar’s Forum where people can get pierced with a Bravo-inspired earring, such as the lightning bolt worn by Sandoval on Vanderpump Rules or a martini glass.
“That's an example of a smaller emerging business that we've been able to find a home for in a very unique and customized way,” Feinberg said.
State Farm, another returning sponsor turned presenting sponsor will be transporting attendees to a Summer House inspired Hamptons beach refuges.
State Farm will sponsor The BravoCon Morning Show onTikTok and the The Best of BravoCon recap show on Peacock.
Both programs are hosted by Bravo’s Daryn Carp and Summer House’s Paige Desorbo and Amanda Batula, with special appearances by Jake from State Farm.
If it sounds like every inch of BravoCon is sponsored, that’s not far off. A new BravoCon sponsor is Clorox which has taken over the bathrooms at the venue.
Clorox will have signage clinging to bathroom mirrors with quotes from Bravo shows. It will put trivia questions in the stalls and QR codes that unlock coupons.
“There is a place for any brand that really wants to lean into the fandom around this audience and event,” she said.
