If you graduated from a Big 12 school like me, March Madness is akin to the birth of your first child— incredibly exciting and completely nerve-racking. One shot is the difference between glory, and what I affectionately like to call the “March sadness.”
During the commercial breaks, I’m busy melting cheese on things (stress eating is key to survival during these trying times) and checking Snapchat to keep my mind busy.
And I’m not the only one—during last years’ March Madness tournament, Snapchat and Turner Sports teamed-up to feature live stories collected from viewers attending tournament games because they knew that’s where viewers would be.
Not to mention, some of the biggest brands added Snapchat to their March Madness marketing mix. The smartest advertisers know that all eyes will be on Snapchat this March— here are the 10 we hope to see. We’ll start with the most obvious…
1 Gatorade
Gatorade has already shown us that they can create a truly immersive Snapchat lens, cue the infamous ‘Gatorade dunk’ we’ve seen from the brand during the past two Super Bowl games. As Snapchat’s facial recognition capabilities become more advanced, this ad unit epitomizes the idea of brand engagement.
2 Nike
Yeah yeah, Nike already sponsors over half of the teams in the Big 12, but why stop there? Nike has the opportunity to bring fans into the brand, in addition to the players. We’re thinking a branded filter might be the perfect fit (and I’m a size 7, in case you’re reading this, Nike).
3 Adidas
Similar to Nike in the sense that Adidas also sponsors a fair number of college athletic teams (*cough Louisville, Kansas and Texas A&M *cough) we’d love to see big team sponsors give fans a chance to sport the brand and support their team with snapchat geo-filters specific to the areas surrounding sponsored schools.
4 Wendy’s
In case you’ve been living in a world without Twitter, Wendy’s has been taking a wildly different approach to dealing with its social media trolls— trolling them right back… and millennials are loving it. We think Wendy’s should keep the momentum going with a carefully placed, and equally hilarious Snap Ad.
5 Taco Bell
Last year on Cinco de Mayo, Taco Bell had one of the most successful sponsored lenses of all time. Now with Snapchat’s Memories feature, users can save these face-altering snaps and share them across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We can’t wait to see what they might come up with for what is sure to be the perfect opportunity for stress eating a Doritos Locos (or two… ok five).
6 Oreo
We think Snapchat and Oreo go together like milk and cookies this March Madness season. Ok that was terrible, but lest we forget Oreo’s iconic “Dunk in the Dark” tweet in 2013? How about “dunking” along with your favorite NCAA players? Pretty genius, we know. And a great opportunity for a branded filter. #JustSaying.
7 Coca-Cola
We love our sweet, fizzy drinks, especially during a big game. But alas, in the age of “fresh is best” millennials crave something a bit lighter. Coca-Cola has done an amazing job catering to the changing tastes of its audience with healthier riffs like Coca-Cola Life and Honest Tea. With more than 100 million Facebook followers, Coca-Cola’s audience is sure to have eyes on social in the month of March.
8 Allstate
Last year, Allstate added Snapchat to its cross-platform “March Mayhem” campaign. The ad featured a flaming NCAA Men’s Basketball bracket, and was as seamlessly incorporated into Snapchat’s March Madness “Live Stories” section. We’re ready to see Allstate strike lightning in the same place twice.
9 Audi
Yes, we might have shed a few tears during Audi’s “Daughter” Super Bowl commercial, and we think that the NCAA tournament is the perfect time to continue spreading the message of equality with a complimenting Snap Ad, or even a filter that continues the “progress is for everyone” sentiment.
10 Red Bull
I’m a little bit of a sucker for a great Snapchat lens. What could be better (or more immersive) than turning your face into something else? Red Bull’s standby slogan makes perfect sense to incorporate into an amazing lens, allowing Snapchat users the ability to “give themselves wings” during the National Tournament? I’ll give you that idea on the house, Red Bull. Just this once.
These are just a few of the brands we hope we get to see on Snapchat as March Madness approaches.
Did your brand make the list? Let’s talk. Don’t see your brand on here? Drop us a note; we’d love to get you in the game in time for the First Four.