Brief:
- Procter & Gamble teamed with digital media platform BuzzFeed to produce two video ads that show how its Bounty paper towels can help during March Madness parties. The first one-minute spot features popular basketball broadcaster Dick Vitale providing play-by-play commentary on a recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Fritters, according to a company announcement.
- Vitale, who also goes by nickname Dicky V, narrates how the paper towel brand is part of the recipe for prep work, cooking and cleanup during the annual NCAA college basketball tournament. The commercial was shared this week on the @Bounty account on Twitter.
- P&G made the videos with BuzzFeed's Tasty, the producer of popular "hands in pans" videos that provide step-by-step instructions on food recipes. The commercials will be shown on Bounty's, Tasty's and Vitale's social channels, per P&G's announcement.
Insight:
P&G's Bounty brand aims to stake a claim during March Madness for anyone who hosts a party and makes food during the college basketball tournament. The basketball championship games, held from March 19 to the final on April 8, are the biggest advertising bonanza after the National Football League's Super Bowl. March Madness last year spurred more than $1.32 billion in national TV ad spending, compared to $1.68 billion for the NFL's post-season, according to WPP's Kantar unit. Mobile-related advertisers were some of the biggest TV sponsors of the tournament last year, including AT&T ($101 million), Samsung ($39 million), Google's parent company Alphabet ($39 million) and Apple ($36 million), Kantar's data show.
The quickness of Tourney Time is no match for @Bounty and @DickieV ????Check out the play-by-plays for this fun and easy game day recipe, it’s #AwesomeBaby #QuickerPickerUpper pic.twitter.com/8uHOyiEAOC
— Tasty (@tasty) March 18, 2019
Bounty wants to stand out with its strategy of posting videos to social media channels, where they're more likely to be seen by younger adults who watch less cable TV than older generations and may not yet be loyal to a certain paper towel brand. The biggest group of Twitter users consists of people ages 25 to 34, who make up 43.2% of the social network's user base, per social media management firm Sprout Social.
Bounty is among the advertisers rolling out social media campaigns around March Madness. Honda's luxury car brand Acura is urging Instagram users to share videos of their "super handling" basketball skills on the court or in everyday situations during the tournament, with ESPN analyst and host Jay Williams providing color commentary on fans' top moves in videos posted to Instagram. Buffalo Wild Wings is running several campaigns, including its "That's March Madness" activation that urges viewers to have fun watching games at its sports bars and restaurants instead of isolating themselves to second-screening alone with their mobile devices and desktop computers. It's leveraging its Twitter network by sharing humorous suggestions on how to fill out tournament brackets as the tip-off for the First Four games approaches tonight.