Celebrity Names: Cameron Boozer & Cayden Boozer
Brand Name: Zaxby’s
Represented By: Excel Sports Management
Deal Type: NIL Brand Partnership / Loyalty Campaign
Announced: March 23, 2026
Impact: Elevates Zaxby’s Dry Rub launch and Zax Rewardz sign-ups by leveraging the Boozer twins’ rising profiles during peak college basketball season, while further positioning the brothers as marketable NIL-era stars
- Zaxby’s launched a “Transfer Portal” loyalty campaign, signing Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer as brand partners to encourage fans to join the Zax Rewardz program, timed perfectly around March Madness.
- The first 100,000 new Zax Rewardz members who sign up through the in-app Transfer Portal between March 23 and April 6, 2026 receive a free “sign-on bonus,” complimentary Dry Rub menu items with any drink purchase.
- A limited-edition “Boozer Brothers Meal” was launched exclusively online and via the Zaxby’s app from March 23 through April 26, featuring Nashville Hot Chicken Fingerz™, Lemon Pepper Wings, Garlic Parm Fries, and a Small Handcrafted Lemonade.
- The campaign also stars Duke teammate Nik Khamenia, reinforcing the college basketball theme as Cameron Boozer (the ACC Player of the Year) prepares for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Zaxby’s is making the most of March Madness. The Atlanta-based chicken chain tapped Duke basketball twins Cameron Boozer and Cayden Boozer, along with teammate Nik Khamenia, to front its new “Transfer Portal” loyalty campaign.
The campaign, launched March 23, 2026, invites fans to ditch their old chicken spot and join the Zax Rewardz program in exchange for a free “sign-on bonus” of Dry Rub menu items with any drink purchase. The offer is limited to the first 100,000 new members and closes April 6.
Zaxby’s also rolled out a digital-exclusive Boozer Brothers Meal, featuring Nashville Hot Chicken Fingerz™, Lemon Pepper Wings, Garlic Parm Fries, and a Small Handcrafted Lemonade, available via the app and third-party delivery through April 26.
Just like other athletes brands have recently activated around sports culture, similar to how Metta World Peace and Ronaldinho starred in Hard Rock Bet’s “So Metta” campaign and Scottie Pippen fronted Mr. Pibb’s “Second Best” campaign, the Boozers bring both athletic credibility and pop-culture momentum.
The timing is no coincidence. Cameron is averaging 22.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game this season, leading Duke as a top-1 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while projecting as a consensus top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Cayden, meanwhile, stepped into Duke’s starting point guard role late in the season and averaged 13.67 points over the ACC Tournament, cementing his own rising profile.
Takeaways
The Zaxby’s Transfer Portal campaign is textbook March Madness marketing: clever, timely, and culturally fluent. By mirroring the real-world college basketball transfer portal, Zaxby’s turned a loyalty sign-up into a sports storyline.
And with Cameron Boozer poised to be one of the most talked-about names heading into the NBA Draft, the brand is essentially piggy-backing on a media wave that has months of runway left.
What makes this deal especially smart? The Boozer twins are a package deal: two rising stars for the cultural price of one. It’s authentic (they’re college kids who actually eat fast food), it’s timely (March Madness = peak basketball engagement), and the app-exclusive mechanic creates urgency while driving measurable loyalty sign-ups.
With Cameron projected as a top-5 NBA Draft pick, how does this deal affect his brand equity before he’s even played a professional game? As NIL deals become more mainstream, are fast-food chains better positioned than luxury brands to authentically connect with college athletes?
