For its fourth year as a Corporate Partner of NCAA March Madness, Nissan aims to ensure everyone knows that ‘It’s Madness Season’ with a campaign that drives the tournament’s joyful mayhem – from the mascots and the fans, to the players and the official Nissan vehicles – all over the place.
Based on the insight that during March Madness college basketball fandom shows up anywhere and everywhere, the integrated campaign brings the tournament to some unlikely places: from co-workers’ computer screens (even though they’re trying to hide it), to flooding social media and dominating dinner conversations.
As the campaign message states: When the games are on – it’s on. It’s Madness Season and there’s no stopping it.
Conceived by Nissan USA’s creative agency TBWA\Chiat\Day New York, the campaign is spearhead by a trio of TV commercials directed by comedy legend Wayne McClammy of Hungry Man Productions.
The spots, which rolled out from 9 March, feature distinct, somewhat unlikely locations for Madness mania and are infused with the daft energy of a dancing college mascot. The films are all set to the iconic Ludacris track ‘Get Back’ and each promotes a different Nissan vehicle.
‘Office’ is shot in a server room where an intern trader’s mundane work is emerged by March Madness (and features that all-electric Nissan ARIYA).
‘Pickleball’ juxtaposes the current sport de jour with the excitement of basketball (and promotes the Nissan Pathfinder).
‘Fitness’ sees a hip, upscale gym given a March Madness (and showcases the new Nissan Rogue).
FX and beauty work done by the impressive builders at JAMM and colourist Ricky Gausis at Traffik added the cinematic colour palette. Sound design and Ludacris mixing by Joel Waters of Lime Studios.
Additionally, across social, Nissan will be doing a first-to-market partnership with House of Highlights TikTok that no other NCAA Advertiser has done. Popular sports personalities like the Broadcast Boys will be creating content throughout the tournament.
Plus, there is a (seemingly compulsory) brackets contest tie-up with CBS Sports: with a Nissan Rogue prize.
☎️☎️ HELLO?!?! Why aren't you submitting your bracket right now? Do it now: https://t.co/wRivCMEtym!#NissanRogue #ItsMadnessSeason #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/wWAQxHDrXV
— Nissan (@NissanUSA) March 19, 2024
Stop scrolling start bracketing. Fill out your brackets here: https://t.co/kAXZvIH4dM! There's a car with your name on it. #NissanRogue #ItsMadnessSeason #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/id9oWlt998
— Nissan (@NissanUSA) March 18, 2024
The campaign was created for client Nissan USA by a team at creative agency TBWA/Chiat/Day, with production handled by Hungry Man, post production and VFX by JAMM Visual and Traffik and music and sound by Lime Studios.
Another eclectic, high-energy, slightly daft creative approach to March Madness (with Ludacris injecting some added swagger), this campaign follows on from 2023 and 2022’s ‘Road 2’ (The Final Four) activation programme and 2022’s ‘The Chase’.
This isn’t the first time Nissan has sought to engage and entertain by featuring college mascots in its marketing creative: its long-running college football ‘Heisman House’ platform also regularly features plenty of giant animal costumes.