The Challenge
For cricket fans, the most memorable moments often happen beyond the field of play, the anticipation before the first ball, the atmosphere around the venue, the access, the conversations, and the feeling of being part of something bigger. Traditional sponsorships often stop at visibility, placing a brand in front of fans without meaningfully connecting to the emotions and experiences that make fandom powerful.
THE OPPORTUNITY
Marriott Bonvoy saw an opportunity to connect two powerful passions: travel and sport. Built on the fan truth that supporters don’t just want to watch cricket, they want to feel closer to it, the Closer The Better campaign brought Marriott Bonvoy Moments into cricket ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Through the platform, members could bid points for exclusive experiences including hospitality tickets, Anthem Kid opportunities, and Beyond the Boundary access, while the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes offered one fan the ultimate matchday experience at the T20 World Cup Final.
Burman Sports, subcontracted by 160over90, supported the campaign by helping bring this vision to life across creator strategy, fan engagement, and experience-led storytelling.
Burman Sports, subcontracted by 160over90, supported the campaign by helping bring this vision to life across creator strategy, fan engagement, and experience-led storytelling.
OUR APPROACH
Creator activation throughout the tournament: Burman Sports' own addition to take the campaign beyond the stadium. Partnering with select influencers with a clear narrative that evolved over the course of the tournament turning fan experiences into stories shared across cricket communities online, and letting Marriott Bonvoy participate in cricket culture in a way that felt natural and fan-first.
Bringing “the Closer the Better” campaign to life: Burman Sports led the on-ground execution of Marriott Bonvoy’s experience-led activations, ensuring seamless delivery across Marriott Bonvoy Moments, hospitality access, the Anthem Kid opportunity, Beyond the Boundary experiences, and the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes, while managing the fan journey through to the T20 World Cup Final.
Bringing “the Closer the Better” campaign to life: Burman Sports led the on-ground execution of Marriott Bonvoy’s experience-led activations, ensuring seamless delivery across Marriott Bonvoy Moments, hospitality access, the Anthem Kid opportunity, Beyond the Boundary experiences, and the Golden Ticket Sweepstakes, while managing the fan journey through to the T20 World Cup Final.
THE Impact
The result was a partnership that fused hospitality and fandom, thus connecting Marriott Bonvoy's offering with the emotions driving fan behavior, and extending its presence beyond the match itself: from exclusive access and on-ground moments to creator-led storytelling and member engagement. Marriott Bonvoy became part of the experiences cricket fans value most, not just a name on a boundary board.
Creators activated: 80+ | Total Views: 25M+ | Engagements: 1.5M+
Creators activated: 80+ | Total Views: 25M+ | Engagements: 1.5M+
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