Five Brands Bought Into Bravo Fan Fest — and Let the Shows Lead

By James Calloway

Bravo Fan Fest drew five brand sponsors to Charleston, SC on October 24 — Colgate Optic White, Planet Fitness, State Farm, Wayfair and Wendy's — and every one of them put the shows fans love ahead of their own products.

The event returned after debuting in Miami in 2024. It's smaller and more intimate than BravoCon, with live stage programming, branded activations and photo ops with Bravolebrities from Below Deck, The Real Housewives franchise, Southern Charm, Southern Hospitality and Summer House. Adweek spent the day on the ground.

"Each partnership brings the brand into the Bravo world through familiar Easter eggs and fan-favorite moments, in a way that lets both the brand and the IP shine," said Sari Feinberg, svp of marketing and brand partnerships at NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships.

The short version: brands that mirror the fandom's obsessions win the room.

What did each brand actually build?

• Colgate Optic White ran a giant toothbrush game with prizes, a smile-ready photo spot with a power fan to make attendees feel like a Bravo main character, and a station to customize a travel bag with Optic White products.
• Planet Fitness set up hydration stations with co-branded water bottles. Scanning a hang tag unlocked one free month of the PF Black Card, which covers access to all clubs nationwide plus perks like hydromassages and exclusive app workouts.
• State Farm built a waterfront photo op inspired by Southern Charm. Cast members Shep Rose and Madison LeCroy stopped by to pose with fans, who got customizable tote bags and could pick a matching scarf.
• Wayfair pitched a DJ photo moment modeled on Summer House star Kyle Cooke, complete with cardboard cutouts of the cast. Fans met cast member Mia Calabrese and left with gift boxes carrying a shoppable QR code for deals.
• Wendy's parked an outdoor food truck serving its BFF deal — Burgers, Fries and Frosty — and debuted two new Frosty flavors inspired by Alicia Carmody of The Real Housewives of Rhode Island and Lisa Barlow of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.

Wendy's also ran a check-in at The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip Hotel, designed to feel like a real Housewives trip. Barlow's Baby Gorgeous Meal is still live in the Wendy's app and on DoorDash.

Why the intimate format matters

Kim Francella, svp of brand partnerships at NBCUniversal Advertising and Partnerships, frames Fan Fest as an ongoing strategy to cultivate fandom, with the intentionally intimate setting doing the heavy lifting on brand connection.

"What we're seeing is a true flywheel: the passion of the Bravo fanbase continues to drive incredible demand from brands," said Francella.

That demand is measurable in behavior: Bravoholics came for their favorite stars and stayed for the experiences woven into the festival itself. For brands weighing splashy tentpole sponsorships against tighter fan-first formats, Charleston made the case that a smaller room with deeper engagement can outperform scale.