March Madness is always packed with buzzer-beaters, upsets — and increasingly, unexpected brand plays. This year, Planet Fitness is offering hydromassage chairs on wheels, Great Clips is teaming up with a "Saturday Night Live" comedian, and Dr. Scholl’s is telling the story of a mom who may have raised the next NBA star.
They may not have the budgets of big-brand sponsors like Coca-Cola, Capital One and AT&T, but these challenger brands are getting creative about how to muscle into tournament conversations — with mobile activations, strategic storytelling, and plenty of social media.
Planet Fitness is hitting the road with its first-ever PF Mobile Black Card Spa, an activation that’s parking outside major tournament markets including Atlanta, Birmingham, and San Antonio. The mobile spa features massage chairs, a hydromassage bed, and a CryoLounge+ cold therapy station. Ads for the activations are voiced by college basketball icon Dick Vitale.
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“We understand this time of year watching your favorite team can feel as intense and strenuous as a workout,” says Brian Povinelli, the company’s CMO, in an email to Marketing Daily. “The ups and downs of every March basketball season will truly test your strength. We are bringing the rebound and recovery in-club experience Planet Fitness is known for directly to basketball fans. Our goal is to help people de-stress and recharge for all of the big games with the amenities traditionally offered to our PF Black Card members.”
The effort includes a national offer for fans at home too: a free month of Planet Fitness’ Black Card membership with just $1 down.
Great Clips, the official hair salon of March Madness, is leaning into laughs, bringing in "Saturday Night Live"'s Mikey Day for its latest campaign. The Minneapolis-based chain is known for its long-running presence during March Madness, and offering a familiar $10-off on all haircuts. But this year, it’s upping its media game with a comedy-forward push that includes NCAA athletes Hunter Dickinson (University of Kansas) and Lucy Olsen (University of Iowa), alongside plenty of Instagram and TikTok content. Ads are running across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV for the men’s tournament, and on ESPN during the women’s.
Dr. Scholl’s is playing the long game, highlighting the often-invisible labor of sports moms. Its new campaign, “The \[Un\]Official Sponsor of Sports Moms,” features Kelly Flagg, mother of Duke University’s Cooper Flagg, the presumed No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft and a frontrunner for national player of the year. The effort promotes the brand’s 24-Hour Energy Multipurpose Insoles, casting them as essential equipment for moms running on fumes.
“At Dr. Scholl’s, we know that moms are the ultimate game-changers,” said Kate Godbout, the brand’s CMO, in the announcement. “We’re proud to give them the energy and support they need to keep showing up and giving their all.”
The campaign runs across media, social, and brand-owned platforms -- with Duke already in the Sweet 16, and Flagg drawing headlines as the tournament’s breakout star.