La Velada is not sponsored, it is understood

La Velada del Año V, organized by Ibai Llanos, is one of the biggest entertainment events in the Spanish-speaking world. Combining amateur boxing by streamers with top-level musical performances (such as Aitana and Myke Towers), it has attracted more than 80,000 people to the stadium and more than 9 million viewers on Twitch simultaneously. This magnitude makes the event a strategic platform for brands that want to connect with young, digital, and global audiences.
 

The role of brands

 
Although the exact figure may vary, it is estimated that between 10 and 15 brands have had a prominent presence at different levels:

• Official and visible sponsorships in the ring/on stage.
• Content actions with influencers and streamers.
• Activations on social media and live during the event.

La Velada has been the perfect showcase for brands and an opportunity to activate their sponsorships. This edition has confirmed that entertainment, when mixed with digital culture, is guaranteed to attract attention.
 

What have brands done?

The participating brands took advantage of the opportunity to connect with the young audience in a creative and contextual way. They activated their presence through collaborations with influencers, social media content, live mentions, personalized promotions, live experiences, and branding integrated into the ring and stage design. Instead of limiting themselves to classic sponsorships, they opted for formats native to the digital environment, generating organic visibility and real affinity with the target audience.

Among them, the following stand out:

1. ALSA

True to its style in previous editions, ALSA once again stood out with a personalized action by customizing one of its buses with the image of RoRo, one of the most prominent participants in the event. In addition, it was once again the official transport provider, organizing shuttle buses to facilitate the public’s travel to the La Cartuja stadium. This combination of emotional branding and logistical utility reinforces its positioning as a brand that is close and connected to the young digital community.

2. MAHOU

Mahou opted for an original approach to content creation: it posted a job offer on InfoJobs to hire two creators to cover the Velada from the inside. With remuneration, travel, and VIP access included, the brand turned following the event into a dream work experience, reinforcing its association with creator culture and its commitment to young talent.

3. INFOJOBS

InfoJobs played on several fronts. On the one hand, it launched a real job offer to work as a Marketing Assistant at the event, in a clear bid to connect with young people through humor and employability. On the other hand, in collaboration with IlloJuan, it announced a four-month scholarship to learn English, adding educational value to the experience. This duality between entertainment and real opportunities was very well received on social media.

4. COCA-COLA

The brand opted for continuity, relying on regular ambassadors such as Ángela Mármol, Andrea Garte, Carla Flila, and Archie to amplify its digital presence. Its goal was clear: to associate Coca-Cola with the live experience, music, and youth culture, consolidating its role as a symbol of vibrant social events.

5. SPOTIFY

Spotify opted for conversational content by bringing in Magdalenita, a trending influencer, to interview attendees and generate spontaneous content. They also created the official playlist for the event, a move that not only reinforced the link with music but also extended the La Velada experience beyond the day of the event and integrated it into the audience’s daily lives.

6. CERAVE

In line with its usual aesthetic and communication style, Cerave opted for a discreet but effective presence, relying on ambassadors such as Pablo Vera and Manu Rivas, with organic and carefully crafted content. Its goal: to maintain its position as a trusted brand among young audiences without forcing excessive prominence. Prior to La Velada, notable collaborations included one with the participant in the first fight, Roro, in which designed the mask for Cera Bestia, a character with whom to “give wax” at La Velada, with the aim of creating anticipation with one of the figures

7. GREFUSA

The snack brand joined the “influencer journalism” trend, with two well-known faces covering the event live and capturing all the backstage action. Through this more informal and accessible narrative, Grefusa managed to integrate itself into digital conversations and reinforce its presence as the ideal snack for entertainment.
 

VICIO’s action

 
Prior to La Velada

In an environment where audiences are saturated with stimuli, VICIO and TheGrefg raised the bar with a promotional campaign that goes far beyond traditional marketing: launching the official gloves for Velada V with a real helicopter and a cinematic “Vicedrop.”

The video posted on Instagram, with a production worthy of a video game trailer, shows Grefg participating in a “Battle Royale” style mission, where he must locate a red flag in the middle of a hill. Once located, a real helicopter flies over the area and drops a surprise box: a “supply pack” in the style of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, the video game with which Grefg took his first steps as a creator.
 

 
The video is accompanied by a giveaway for his followers, where Grefg is raffling off several prizes: a Nothing Phone 3, Nothing Headphone 1 headphones, and a year of VICIO for free.

This campaign is a tribute to Grefg’s past, appealing directly to the gamer nostalgia of his community. By recreating a typical scene from combat video games, it connects with the emotional memory of his oldest fans, while introducing the action to new audiences. This combination of storytelling, spectacle, and reward makes the campaign a benchmark for how brands can integrate with creators without looking like advertising, generating excitement, conversation, and active participation.

During La Velada

During the event, they also collaborated with Mister Jägger on an activation that mixed humor, action, and exclusivity: after a fun live fight, Jägger presented a raffle with an iconic prize for fans of the event: the golden glove from La Velada signed by Ibai Llanos. Once again, tech prizes and a year’s worth of food were added, closing an action that combined spectacle, storytelling, and tangible rewards.
 

The Revolut case

 
Revolut was present throughout the event and even long before, with Ibai Llanos as its main brand ambassador, encouraging Ibai’s audience to download its app.

The fintech company Revolut promised something big if it reached 5 million customers in Spain. It did. And it chose La Velada del Año V to fulfill its promise. Everything pointed to a memorable activation: a mysterious red button on stage, reserved for Ibai for “the right moment,” generated excitement among millions of viewers. When pressed, a video was activated in which masked ninjas threw a QR code onto the screen. But the action quickly fizzled out: the code crashed due to high demand, the narrative was unclear, and what should have been epic turned into confusion. Minutes later, real ninjas entered the scene to hand Ibai a personalized Revolut card. However, the surprise didn’t quite hit the mark, as the audience was expecting something that would involve them directly or a collective reward, and what they got was self-promotion with no hook or real engagement.

In an environment where creativity, humor, and participation are everything, Revolut’s execution was unoriginal and self-centered, failing to tap into the emotional code of the community.
 

The opportunity

 
For brands, events such as La Velada del Año are a unique window to connect authentically with their audiences, participate in digital culture, and be part of a conversation that is already happening. The brands that best took advantage of this context created moments, generated emotions, and became shareable content on social media.

From in-person activations that surprise attendees to digital actions that go viral in seconds: raffles, playlists, influencer dynamics, exclusive content, VIP experiences, or job offers such as those from InfoJobs or Mahou. Every action counts when you respect and understand the code of online communities: their language, their references, and their tone.

The key to this event is to integrate naturally, add to the user experience, and contribute something worth sharing. Because in an environment where attention is limited, only brands that generate real value manage to stand out.