Capital One, one of a trio of top tier Presenting Partners for NCAA March Madness, rolled out its 2022 tournament activation in Mid-March which saw regular ambassadors Samuel L Jackson, Charles Barkley and Spike Lee return in an integrated on-the-road themed campaign.
The creative sees actor Jackson, director Lee and NBA legend Barkley back on the road heading to the NCAA Final Four in a series of Capital One commercials.
The campaign rolled out from 17 March and is led by a set of five 30-second spots created by agency GSD&M and directed by Lee which all feature the usual zingers, in-jokes, star cameos (including basketball icons Larry Bird, Sue Bird and Magic Johnson, plus Jessica Garner) and madcap musical moments which have become familiar during this annual hoops-led marketing burst.
“We really wanted to connect the men’s and women’s tournaments, so we were super excited when we realized that the Mississippi river literally connects the two cities where the championships are being played. The team turned that insight into the ‘Champion Ship’ spot” added agency Co-Creative Director Jon Williamson.
“Of course, Chuck would absolutely have a badass mascot. And Sam is the most badass guy he knows. From there, it was all about striking the perfect expression,” GSD&M Co-Creative Director Kevin Dunleavy.
“Chuck is historically the idea man in these campaigns, coming up with crazy plans or inventions,” continued GSD&M Co Creative-Director Brett Baker. “One of his most prominent physical features is his baldness. So, what would a bald guy like Chuck think of? Easy—a barbershop.”
Supporting the lead TV ads are additional social content pieces, plus at-event experiences and fan rewards and competitions.
The campaign was created for client Capital One by a team at agency GSD&M which included CCO Jay Russell, Group Creative Directors & SVPs Scott Brewer and Ryan Carroll, Creative Directors Leigh Browne, Jon Williamson, Kevin Dunleavy, Daniel Burke, Dina Young, Brett Baker, ACD & Copywriter Phil Davies, ACD & Art Director Matt Barker, Senior Art Director (Social) Kendal Steffen, Senior Art Director (Social) TJ Vining, Executive Producer Jon Ellis, Producers Stefany Strah and Rolando Romero, Managing Director Nancy Ryan, Account Directors Jodi Bucciarelli and Lindsey Kuhn, Account Supervisor Blake Balser, Business Affairs Director Lindsay Wakabayashi, Associate Director Of Business Affairs Lisa Dalian, Project Manager Teonna Anderson, SVP & Strategy Studio Lead Jim Firestone, Director of Communications Strategy Mikael Greenlief, Senior Social Strategist Jessica Peltzman, Senior Social Strategist Sammy Rippon and Director Of Paid Social Evan Walker.
Comment
This campaign reprises the ambassador trio’s annual pilgrimage to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament: indeed, it is the seventh iteration of the activation (although they sat out 2020 during the height of the pandemic).
Previous stand-out iterations have included 2021’s 7-spot campaign and 2016’s ‘Road Trip To The Final Four’.
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