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By Audrey Kemp, LA Reporter

June 1, 2023 | 3 min read

‘3>2: A Starry story,’ which airs during Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight, is an absurd account about how the new soda’s mascots invented the three-pointer 40 years ago.

Starry, PepsiCo’s new lemon lime flavored soda, has been named the official soft drink of the NBA.

To celebrate this distinction, the brand is airing ‘3>2: A Starry story,’ a commercial starring the NBA’s Zion Williamson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Angel Reese and Matt Barnes, during Game 1 of the 2023 NBA Finals tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The short film aims to deliver a fresh, comedic perspective on how the three-point shot came to be nearly 40 years ago. It opens with Zion, Karl-Anthony, Angel and Matt, who are hosting a youth basketball camp. The brand’s mascots, ’Lem’ and ’Lime,’ make a surprise appearance to explain that they, in fact, invented the three-pointer. According to their account, they convinced the NBA to instate the three-point shot after explaining that “three is greater than two.“ The faux documentary superimposes the animated mascots into historical footage of the famous shot.

“The conversations around the three-pointer and its impact on the NBA have been debated far and wide,” said Michael Smith, senior director of Starry brand marketing, in a statement. “As a fresh new brand and the official soft drink of the NBA, we wanted to embrace hoops culture during a pivotal moment in the NBA season and give fans something fun to talk about in a way that only Starry could.”

As an extension of the campaign, Starry has created the ‘Dial a 3’ fan hotline sweepstakes for a chance to win prizes that range from three tickets to the three-point contest during NBA All-Star 2024, a three-wheeler, three autographed jerseys, three recliners and more. To enter to win, fans must dial 1-833-3PT-SHOT any time a player hits a three-pointer during Game 1 of the NBA Finals on June 1.

The campaign was created with creative agency TEN35.

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