Capital One Goes March Mad: Charles Is A Blimp, Magic Has A Mini-Mart, Dionne Sings
Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 04:02PM By Barry Janoff
March 13, 2024: NCAA corporate champion Capital One is back for March Madness with its unusual cast of characters, including Charles Barkley, Samuel L. Jackson, Spike Lee, Magic Johnson, Jennifer Garner and Jim Nantz — with a guest appearance from Dionne Warwick — in a campaign that will run throughout the Tournaments.
Putting the “mad” into March Madness, the financial firm envisions Barkley as "Chuck Blimp" headed to the men’s Final Four in Phoenix — but warns: “Dramatization: Do not attempt to fly a blimp in the shape of Charles Barkley”; pictures Johnson running a "Magic Mart" convenience store, filled with an endless supply of March Madness goods (to compete with the Chuck Stop from last year’s campaign); and in "What About Nantz" sees Nantz, no longer calling March Madness games, commentating instead on the lives of Barkley, Jackson and Lee.
A climactic spot, "That’s What March Is For," Capital One brings all of its players together.
In a “We Are The World” -type scenario, Dionne Warwick's classic “That’s What Friends Are For” is re-imagined with such lyrics as, “Half-court shots/And mascots/Buzzer-beaters/Pizza’s at the door/And unlimited 1.5% cash back with the Capital one Quicksilver card . . . That’s what March is for.’”
The humorous alliance with Barkley, Jackson and Lee (who also directs) dates back to 2015, but missed 2020 when the Tournaments were cancelled due to COVID-19.
Capital One will air the spots across TV — including March Madness broadcast partners CBS, TNT, TBS, truTV for the Men’s Tournament; ESPN, ESPN2, ABC for the Women’s Tournament — digital and social media.
March Madness Live is presented by AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola
In addition, Capital One will again have major presence on the ground in the respective Men's Final Four and Women's Final Four host sites:
Men’s Final Four FanF
est Presented by Capital One is scheduled for Phoenix Convention Center (April 5-8).
The Men’s March Madness Music Festival in Hance Park, presented by AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola (April 5-7), includes the Capital One JamFest (April 7) scheduled to star Mumford & Sons, The Black Keys, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats and Leon Bridges.
The Women’s Final Four Tourney Town presented by Capital One will take place in the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland (April 4-7).
NCAA partners include corporate champions AT&T, Capital One and Coca-Cola; and Buffalo Wild Wings, Buick, Geico, Great Clips, Intuit Turbo Tax, Invesco QQQ, LG, Marriott Bonvoy, Nabisco, Nissan, Pizza Hut, Reese’s, The Home Depot, Unilever and Wendy’s.
• Key To The City
• Chuck Blimp
• What About Nantz
• Magic Mart
• That’s What March Is For
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