Iconic Personalities Help Women’s March Madness Advertisers Break Through

UConn wasn’t the only Women’s March Madness winner — a recent analysis from MarketCast reveals several brands that advertised during the tournament and achieved notable ad breakthrough (how well audiences remembered both the ad and the brand). 

All of the top five brands by ad breakthrough leveraged iconic personalities and/or celebrities, with two also incorporating bold, memorable visuals. 

• Geico and Capital One led for ad breakthrough, scoring +29% and +27% above the norm, respectively. Both relied on personalities to resonate with audiences: Geico harnessed its iconic Gecko character, while Capital One brought together Samuel L Jackson, Spike Lee and Charles Barkley to catch viewers’ attention. 
• Close behind was Nike, hitting +25% above the ad breakthrough norm. “So Win” featured female athletes including Sha'Carri Richardson, Caitlin Clark and A'ja Wilson. It delivered an emotional, compelling message alongside action-packed visuals and was contextually perfect, proving the power of purpose-driven creative. 
• Apple scored 11% above the norm for ad breakthrough with “Someday,” featuring Pedro Pascal. In addition to having the celebrity element, Apple blended vivid visuals with funky music to showcase the noise-cancelling feature of AirPods.
• The Home Depot's "Tips from the Tool Shaq" put basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal front and center (court), with elements of humor that helped the brand secure an ad breakthrough 10% above the norm.