March Madness isn't the Super Bowl or Olympics or World Cup, for that matter, but it's big enough to draw a ton of marketers with integrated-marketing plans. Why not? It appeals to a very young and very desirable audience; it's TiVo proof; and its a social driver. This year's tourney will top last year's $1.15 billion in ad revenue, per Kantar Media. Here's a rundown of who's doing what.

Young women are embracing the ultimate guy product: Old Spice. Doesn't seem to matter that P&G has been marketing it exclusively to men. One person, Sarah Olivieri, who started an "Old Spice for Women" Facebook page, came to the product for health reasons. It is also getting a boost among women because of its low price and newer scents. "There's a lot of women out there, who, for different reasons, like to use Old Spice," said Olivieri, 33, who runs a media company in Rifton, N.Y.

Tesla wants factory-owned dealerships, a direct-sales model that throws a wrench in the traditional machinery of dealer franchise business. Tesla owner Elon Musk is accusing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie of thwarting those ambitions. He says Christie did a "backroom deal" to keep the battery-carmaker out. Last week, regulators announced that they would bar Tesla from going ahead with plans to open factory-owned dealerships in the state.

Sunny Leone, born Karenjit Kaur Vohra to Sikh parents in Ontario, is specializing in social media marketing, and companies that tie up with the Sunny Leone brand "see the potential and value" in it. The porn star turned digital entrepreneur/brand endorser launched a Sunny Leone app and platform that integrates all social networks "with our own marketing team." Marketers for energy drinks, liquor and more obvious tie-ins are singing up.

When it comes to watching the NCAA Div. I Men's Basketball Tournament, not all viewing experiences are the same. Burger King wants to do something about that in its first go-round as an official NCAA partner. The company is backing a campaign to help fans 'Watch Like a King' with the aid of college and NBA veteran Chris Webber and a Twitter-driven activation. The promo dangles such March Madness goodies as flat screen TVs, mobile phone projectors, food and tickets to the Final Four in AT&T Stadium.

Marlboro, the world's largest-selling brand of cigarettes, is under fire in different global markets for pitching cigs to teens with its sexy, hip "Don't Be A Maybe" campaign that equates smoking with the adventurous life. The Philip Morris International brand is showing young people partying, snowboarding, playing the guitar, making out in the campaign that has been introduced across 50 countries, but banned in Germany.

Brands in Malaysia are putting campaign plans on hold to show solidarity with victims and families of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. Emirates, the subsidiary of Emirates Group has, for example, put a freeze on all communications across Southeast Asia. "We have advised our airline clients to pull out of advertising," said Manu Sanghi, director of international business at Havas Media APAC.

While GM and the government go at it around the ignition situation, and the automaker gets ready to fence with lawyers bearing suits, there's the image challenge: GM's new CEO, Mary Barra, has to convince the public that the company is taking responsibility, said Richard Torrenzano, a reputation and crisis-control consultant. Otherwise GM's post-bankruptcy image as a carmaker with great new cars and a focus on customers is in great peril.

As people do more and more shopping online and the economy has slowed, brick-and-mortar retailers are suffering. And closing. Weakened companies cannot afford the real estate and personnel costs that go along with supporting hundreds of unprofitable locations. The clearest proof of the problem was RadioShack's recent decision to close more than 1,000 stores. Gap has closed 20% of its locations in recent years, and Macy's, which is going strong with earnings, has closed stores recently as well.

Starting next month, the Honda premium marque will get its own sales and marketing division separate to that of Honda for the first time. This follows an agency shift that took Acura business from RPA's RP& division and gave the estimated $200 million Acura account to Mullen. Michael Accavitti will run the division.