 This ad shows The Hartford’s tilt
toward basketball. |  Aeropostale makes a fashion statement in the
Big East. |
 The Hartford
The Hartford has been an NCAA Corporate Partner for four years and its current activation spreads across many venues. New commercial spots touting the brand’s equity will air during March Madness, as will its noted John Wooden-voiced “Trophy” ads. The Hartford is a top advertiser in the online March Madness on Demand product, and continues to sponsor the Bob Cousy Award for the nation’s top point guard. The Hartford will market on-site through its charitable “4Kay Run presented by The Hartford” at the women’s Final Four in Tampa; as a sponsor of the U.S. Paralympics men’s and women’s basketball teams, which are holding exhibitions during both Final Fours; and through its Playbook For Life financial literacy program for student athletes at both host schools. | Aeropostale Don’t let the name fool you. Aeropostale has more than 800 stores in North America and can claim to be part of the fabric of youth culture. That’s the rationale for its longstanding sponsorship of the Big East Conference, which a company spokesman says allows it to reach young men and women “from a platform that speaks to them.” Aeropostale will sponsor the Big East tournament bracket in the New York Post this year, and it continues to do philanthropic work, giving scholarships to student athletes. |
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Cadbury Schweppes Americas Two of the company’s brands sponsor conference tournaments. This year, Sunkist sponsors the Big East tournament in New York, the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis, and the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City. Dr Pepper sponsors the SEC tournament in Atlanta. Cadbury Schweppes offers its retail partners tournament-specific, in-store displays and opportunities for halftime promotions. The brands have signage at each game and in-venue diversions, such as the Dr Pepper SEC FanFare and the Sunkist Kiss Cam at the Big Ten. | Old Spice The Procter & Gamble brand is everywhere there are young people perspiring. In addition to numerous university and conference deals, Old Spice covers a wide swath of both college and prep hoops programming, with title rights to the Old Spice Classic college tournament in November, prep games on ESPN throughout the season and ESPN’s Old Spice High School Showcase event, and presenting ESPN2’s “Varsity Inc.” prep hoops reality series. It stepped in to title the smaller And 1 Mix Tape hoops tour this year, and it titles “challenges” in the EA Sports March Madness 08 game. |
| AT&T The carrier’s hippest plans around college hoops this year focus on the delivery of entertainment over wireless phones. It recently launched Coaches’ Corner (right), a six-week series of candid video interviews with well-known NCAA coaches, which are available in streaming format only to AT&T wireless subscribers. A new 90-second interview is presented every week. Again this year, AT&T is encouraging fans to vote for the two Naismith Trophy winners,. Phone-in votes weigh a hefty 25 percent toward the final tally. Other carriers can opt in, giving their subscribers a voice. |
— Compiled by NoahLiberman
