Villanova men's basketball coach Jay Wright appears in a 30-second spot for Dove Men+Care that is "part of a new campaign that launches this week and will run through the NCAA tournament," according to Michael Smith of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Unilever, Dove's parent company, worked with BBH, N.Y., on the creative for the "Easy Decisions" campaign. Unilever has been an NCAA partner since '11 and "its previous ad campaigns have featured March Madness personalities" such as ESPN's Jay Bilas and Georgetown coach John Thompson III. Wright’s spot is "central to Dove Men+Care’s March Madness marketing, but there also will be digital extensions on Bleacher Report, ESPN.com and Grantland." Unilever also put Pacers coach Frank Vogel "into a similar but separate commercial" to Wright's (
SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/17 issue).
MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL: Northwestern Mutual today indicated that it has “renewed its marketing campaign” around the NCAA tournament, including a "presenting sponsorship of the First Four games” tomorrow and Wednesday on truTV. In Milwaukee, Alison Bauter reports exclusive video content “marks this year's marketing strategy, featuring segments on planning, like ‘Northwestern Mutual Presents Planning for Success’ and a behind-the-scenes ‘Team Confidential’ series showing how teams prepare for the tournament.” Exclusive content also will be “available via Northwestern Mutual's Facebook page.” Northwestern Mutual again “will sponsor local events for the men's and women's championships” held in Dallas and Nashville, respectively (BIZJOURNALS.com, 3/17).
CALLING MORE TECH SUPPORT: CDW on Saturday launched the next iteration of its “People Who Get IT” campaign with Basketball HOFer Charles Barkley. The campaign featuring Barkley and fictional company Gordon & Taylor will air during the NCAA tournament with spots on national TV and radio, in print and with expanded online digital engagement running into the summer. Barkley has appeared in several editions of the campaign since ’12. Ogilvy & Mather, Chicago worked with CDW to develop the campaign (CDW).
TAKING TIME OUT TO EAT: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Smith reports one of Burger King’s first moves since partnering with the NCAA in October was “to strike an endorsement deal” with Turner’s Chris Webber, who appears in "Final Four-themed commercials -- both 15- and 30-second versions -- starting this week.” Burger King and California-based ad agency Pitch “chose Webber to be the centerpiece” of the new spot, in which he “blocks the view of others trying to watch the game.” Burger King also “works with Horizon Media and Scout Sports & Entertainment on its sports marketing” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 3/17 issue).
CORPORATE LADDER: In Pittsburgh, Michael Sanserino wrote of all the sponsorships that are part of the NCAA tournament, "a ladder might be among the most unusual." Werner Ladders has been a tourney sponsor for the last seven years. Werner's sponsorship agreement "does not require CBS to show the Werner logo, so it is not quite like the product placements that have become a staple of TV shows and movies." Werner VP/Marketing Chris Filardi noted that the company has "supplied ladders to sports arenas for decades." Only after "seeing its ladder used time and time again to cut down the nets ... did it reach out to the NCAA to try to capitalize." As part of the agreement between Werner and the NCAA, the company "supplies tournament arenas with 9-foot ladders -- a product that is not even available to U.S. consumers." Filardi "declined to say how much Werner spends as part of its partnership, only to say it is the company's 'most significant investment of all the initiatives we do for our brand.'" Werner for this year's tournament "will air a series of commercials," including a pair of TV spots and a radio commercial "featuring some of the ladder company's new products." Werner last month also began airing a spot featuring Michigan State coach Tom Izzo, "who climbs to the top of the company's platform ladder and dances around" (
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 3/16).
