Great Clips, the official hair salon of March Madness, set out to raise fans’ hair instead of cutting it at the 2021 NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament via a social-first activation which invites fans to join the conversation around #HairRaisingMoments.
The salon chain’s campaign includes a hero TV spot (running on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV and featuring famous hoops announcer Kevin Harlan), plus a social content series called #HairRaisingMoments running on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as digital ads (on March Madness Live, CBSSports.com and NCAA.com) and in-salon branding and signage in its 4,400 outlets.
The idea behind the campaign sees Great Clips lean into the excitement among college hoops fans (especially following the cancellation of the 2020 tournament) by celebrating the exhilarating, unexpected and unique moments that define March Madness.
From the first tip-off to the highly improbable small school surprise wins, and from stunning buzzer beaters to upsets, March Madness is, according to the brand, always filled with moments that make ‘fans feel their hair tingle on their head or stand up on the back of their neck’.
So the NCAA’s official hair salon is sharing a social content series – including clips, polls and quizzes, GIFs and reactions to tournament trending moments – across its channels.
It’s time! ⏰ Teams are taking the court for the first time and we’re ready for all the #HairRaisingMoments. Which @MarchMadness game are you most excited for? #NCAAMarchMadness pic.twitter.com/xCtIv9wb8a
— Great Clips (@GreatClips) March 19, 2021
Get game time ready with Great Clips ♀️♂️ From the first round to the final second, no matter your team or your style – we’re ready to help you celebrate all of the #MarchMadness #HairRaisingMoments with confidence! pic.twitter.com/cyMuIJCGWP
— Great Clips (@GreatClips) March 19, 2021
.@NCAA's @MarchMadness is BACK and we're here to help you look and feel great for all the #HairRaisingMoments this year's tournament will bring — from the first tip-off to the last buzzer beater. So break out your bracket, get a fresh haircut and let the #MarchMadness begin! pic.twitter.com/NSWtjmeVQD
— Great Clips (@GreatClips) March 16, 2021
Plus, a team of sports and lifestyle influencers are fronting an activation strand which sees the sponsor offer real-time giveaways for free haircuts.
#HairRaisingMoments launched with the release of a hero video called ‘Getting Ready for March Madness’ which follows fans getting ready for the tournament at home and in salons.
The aim is to reinforce the idea that, no matter their team or style, Great Clips can help fans look and feel great as they celebrate big and small #HairRaisingMoments throughout the tournament.
“Along with millions of college basketball fans across the country, we’re ready to welcome back March Madness and we’re excited to have the opportunity to bring our NCAA partnership to life for the first time,” said Lisa Hake, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Great Clips, Inc. “We wanted to use social media to spotlight the various moments of celebration and joy that fans feel – and how Great Clips can help them look great when those moments happen.”
Comment:
This activation is Great Clips first ever marketing campaign around March Madness.
Great Clips penned its multi-year marketing partnership with the NCAA back in January 2020 and the tie-up includes NCAA March Madness, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four as well as marketing, media and activation rights surrounding all 90 NCAA Championships. Great Clips’ partnership with the NCAA is through a joint agreement with Turner Sports and CBS Sports.
Established in 1982 in Minneapolis and 100% franchised, Great Clips has over 4,400 salons throughout the United States and Canada – making it the world’s largest salon brand.
Leave a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.