Increased Brand Engagement with a Charles Barkley
AI-Powered Chatbot

FanDuel partnered with NineTwoThree to enhance its marketing campaign featuring Charles Barkley by developing "Chuck AI," an interactive chatbot designed to extend the commercial’s entertainment value into a digital experience.

Concept

NineTwoThree built a custom AI chatbot that mimics Barkley’s personality while maintaining content safeguards, allowing users to engage with Chuck AI in a fun and controlled way. This solution not only amplifies the campaign’s impact but also provides an interactive touchpoint for FanDuel’s audience.

Challenge

FanDuel faced multiple challenges in bringing Chuck AI to life:

Brand Extension:

How to translate the humor and engagement of a commercial into a digital experience that enhances FanDuel’s brand presence.

AI Voice & Personality:

Ensuring the chatbot authentically mirrored Charles Barkley’s speech patterns and style while maintaining a level of control over responses.

Legal & Compliance Constraints:

Avoiding sports betting advice and managing potential brand risks associated with an AI-powered experience. Technical Execution: Creating a scalable, web-friendly chatbot capable of handling high traffic during peak campaign engagement.

Solution

NineTwoThree executed the solution through a structured approach:

AI Personality Development
Built a custom AI chatbot using OpenAI’s technology, and used AI models to train the chatbot to speak in Barkley’s signature style while following strict content guidelines to avoid controversial topics.

Scalability & Performance Conducted load testing and optimization to ensure Chuck AI could handle potential viral engagement.

Custom Web Deployment Developed a mobile-first web application to house the chatbot, implemented voice technology for initial interaction, and integrated seamlessly with FanDuel’s digital ecosystem.

Guardrails & Compliance Implemented content moderation and filtering systems to keep interactions fun, brand-safe, and legally compliant.

Impact

By merging AI with entertainment, NineTwoThree helped FanDuel transform a commercial into a living digital experience that continues to drive engagement and brand awareness. The Chuck AI experience delivered several key benefits: