Great Clips® introduces first marketing campaign for March Madness®
Campaign features social media initiative and national television advertising
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 16, 2021) — Great Clips, Inc. today unveiled its first ever March Madness-themed marketing campaign in support of the brand’s NCAA partnership. The campaign will come to life across social media, a national television commercial airing during the Final Four, in-salon branding and digital ads.
#HairRaisingMoments Social Media Campaign
Great Clips will lean into the heightened excitement among fans after last year’s tournament cancellation by celebrating the exhilarating, unexpected and unique moments that define March Madness across its social channels including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
From the tournament’s first tip-off to improbable Cinderella wins, miraculous buzzer beaters and everything in between, March Madness will be filled with moments when fans feel their hair tingle on their head or stand up on the back of their neck—something Great Clips calls “Hair-Raising Moments.” As the Official Hair Salon of the NCAA, Great Clips is providing fans with various ways to join the conversation during these March Madness #HairRaisingMoments. The brand will share a social content series, polls and quizzes across channels, and GIFs and reactions tied to trending moments. In addition, sports and lifestyle influencers getting in on the excitement will offer real-time giveaways for free haircuts.
To introduce the #HairRaisingMoments campaign, Great Clips released a new video today entitled “Getting Ready for March Madness.” The video follows fans getting ready for March Madness—both at home and in salon—and reinforces that, no matter their team or style, Great Clips can help fans look and feel great as they celebrate big and small #HairRaisingMoments throughout the tournament.
National Television Advertising, Digital Ads and In-Salon Signage
Great Clips will air new national television commercials during March Madness broadcasts on CBS, TBS, TNT and truTV and through the Final Four games on CBS, including two featuring legendary announcer Kevin Harlan. The brand also is featuring March Madness-themed creative within its 4,400 salons and in digital ads on March Madness Live, CBSSports.com and NCAA.com.
“Along with millions of college basketball fans across the country, we’re ready to welcome back March Madness and we’re excited to have the opportunity to bring our NCAA partnership to life for the first time,” said Lisa Hake, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Great Clips, Inc. “We wanted to use social media to spotlight the various moments of celebration and joy that fans feel—and how Great Clips can help them look great when those moments happen.”
Great Clips announced a multi-year marketing partnership with the NCAA in January 2020. The partnership includes NCAA March Madness®, NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four® as well as marketing, media and activation rights surrounding all 90 NCAA Championships. Great Clips’ partnership with the NCAA is through a joint agreement with Turner Sports and CBS Sports.
About Great Clips, Inc.
Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Today, there are over 4,400 independently owned Great Clips® salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips is 100 percent franchised, and salons are owned locally by more than 700 franchisees across the U.S. and Canada. Great Clips® franchisees employ more than 25,000 stylists. Great Clips® franchised salons provide value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. Getting a great haircut at a Great Clips® salon is more convenient than ever with Online Check-In, ReadyNext® text alerts and Clip Notes®. To check in online, visit GreatClips.com or download the free app. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a salon location near you, visit GreatClips.com.
About the NCAA
The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,000 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being, and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. Visit ncaa.org and ncaa.com for more details about the association and the corporate partnerships that support the NCAA and its student-athletes. NCAA and March Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of WarnerMedia, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and ELEAGUE. The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports launched B/R Live in 2018 as a premium live streaming sports platform, serving as the central hub for both the discovery and consumption of live sports content. The streaming service allows fans to find and watch their favorite sports content anywhere, anytime and on the screen of their choice.
About CBS Sports
CBS Sports, a year-round leader in cross-platform sports coverage, broadcasts a portfolio of events on the CBS Television Network, including THE NFL ON CBS; college football, including the SEC ON CBS; college basketball, including the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship; golf, including The Masters®, PGA Championship and PGA TOUR; soccer, including the UEFA Champions League and NWSL; and CBS SPORTS SPECTACULAR. In addition, the division includes CBS SPORTS NETWORK, the 24-hour cable home of CBS Sports which televises live sports programming throughout the year, including college football and basketball games, UEFA Champions League and Europa League action, as well as a full slate of original programming and studio coverage. CBS Sports also delivers an extensive lineup of soccer coverage on Paramount+, including every UEFA club competition match as the exclusive English-language home in the U.S., and produces INSIDE THE NFL for Paramount+. CBS Sports Digital's multi-platform offerings include CBSSports.com and the CBS Sports apps for mobile and connected TV devices; the 24/7 streaming sports news network CBS Sports HQ; 247Sports; MaxPreps; CBS Sports fantasy games; and SportsLine.