NBCUniversal brought back BravoCon this year after skipping the event in 2024, and it pulled up to the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas in a big way.
Not only did the convention showcase Bravo’s most popular reality series across four jam-packed days of live events featuring more than 150 Bravolebrities but it also provided plenty of ways for brand partners to participate in the fan experience beyond the expected ad placements.
Haircare brand Nexxus set up its own hairstyling suite, offering attendees professional touch-ups using the company’s Slick Stick product. Meanwhile, T-Mobile, a presenting sponsor, threw a Bravo-packed party at its Signature Store on the Strip, including a DJ set by Kyle Cooke from “Summer House.” Hilton brought a branded bar, serving up cocktails from the hotel chain’s all-inclusive resorts. Fully getting into the Vegas spirit, TRESemmé hosted a Bravo-themed slot machine and roulette table.
For NBCU, the focus of all of these activations went back to one thing: the Bravo fan experience. “It is essential that we integrate our partners in ways that feel authentic to the Bravo brand,” said Sari Feinberg, SVP, Marketing and Brand Partnerships, Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal. “To strike the balance between fan experience and sponsored activations, we focus on seamlessly weaving brands into the essence of what we know fans already love: the content and the talent.”
Nowhere was the crossover between content, talent and brand more on display than at Wayfair’s “House of Housewives” home decor activation. Items from the company’s catalog were used to create multiple rooms designed to inspire attendees. The activation included a spa bathroom, a full kitchen, home office and living room area. What’s more, the rooms were put together with the help from several members of the “Real Housewives” cast, including Heather Gay, Melissa Gorga, Shamea Morton and former Netflix Global CMO Bozoma Saint John.
“Each ‘room’ was inspired and designed by our talent, and all the pieces fans could touch, see and experience were fully shoppable,” Feinberg said of the activation, which also featured hidden Real Housewives Easter eggs for fans to discover as well as the opportunity to create a sharable confessional moment like on the reality series. Lucky fans also left the activation with a custom keychain to commemorate their time in the House of Housewives.
“Ultimately, the goal is for fans to walk away feeling like they were part of something special, and for brands to feel like they were part of the story,” Feinberg added. “We work in lockstep with our partners to tap into the passion of this fandom across categories, creating memorable experiences that not only excite the fans, but enhance their experience at BravoCon. Brands become culture at this marquee event.”
In total, BravoCon 2025 welcomed 19 brand partners at the event itself, with shoppable ads also playing across NBCU’s platforms, including Peacock. Many of those brands were returning partners from Bravo’s Fan Fest and Watch Party events held across the country. NBCU is very happy with the result. Feinberg said that “the momentum heading into BravoCon 2025 spoke for itself, where we saw incredible excitement from fans and brands alike.”
John Saavedra is Senior Editor at Cablefax.
