Carvana, Shaquille O’Neal debut first celebrity AI shopping assistant

Carvana has announced a first-of-its-kind brand partnership with basketball Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal, centered on the debut of Shaqbot, an AI-powered shopping assistant that brings O’Neal’s voice, humor and personality into the car-buying journey.

The Shaqbot is designed to make the process of browsing Carvana’s online inventory easier and more entertaining, answering questions and guiding customers with custom responses based on O’Neal’s real voice recordings.

O’Neal: “I’ve been buying and selling cars for years, and when I found Carvana, I really loved the ease and innovation of the brand. That’s what makes my partnership with Carvana so exciting. And now for other Carvana fans, they can have a little fun with Shaqbot, an assistant as smart, smooth, and good-looking as me.”

The collaboration includes a range of campaign elements designed to weave Shaq into the Carvana experience:

National Ad Campaign – Broadcast and digital spots starring O’Neal highlight how customers can get “Shaqified” with Carvana.

Shaqvana.com – A campaign microsite where users can explore Shaq-approved vehicles, campaign content and the Shaqbot.

Shaq Filter – A search experience tailored to O’Neal’s favorite specs, such as roomy interiors, high horsepower and sunroofs.

Shaqbot – The central feature, using AI-powered logic and text-to-speech capabilities to guide, assist and entertain in Shaq’s signature style.

Ryan Keeton, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, Carvana: “Shaq is a great ambassador for Carvana — he brings the perfect mix of big personality, big heart, and big ideas. He’s not just in the ads; he’s in the experience. The Shaqbot is one of the most unique things we’ve ever built, and it shows what’s possible when you combine technology, creativity, and fun.”

This marks the first time Carvana has directly embedded a celebrity’s persona into its digital customer experience. Beyond the Shaqbot, the collaboration also includes custom brand content and Shaq-themed surprises planned for the upcoming holiday season.

The full experience is live at Shaqvana.com, with updates shared via Carvana’s social channels.

www.carvana.com

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