• by Tanya Gazdik , March 10, 2016

Penske Truck Leasing is breaking four digital ad spots with a basketball theme to play into March Madness and the Men’s College Basketball Tournament.

The ads, created by The Martin Agency, showcase four humorous scenarios highlighting the importance of seeking expert guidance when day-to-day tasks or questions surpass your own purview.

The push NCAA banners go live today while video spots debut March 13. Tournament streaming starts on March 14. High-volume streaming starts during first round coverage on March 17 (16 games in one day).

The basketball tournament audience is “favorable” in part because of its sheer magnitude, says Sherry Sanger, senior vice president of marketing, Penske Truck Leasing.

"Psychic" features a psychic whose "magic ball" is actually a bowling ball complete with finger holes and the previous owners name (Larry) engraved on it. "Uncle Frank" gets Washington (the team) confused with Washington (the city full of clowns.) A man's aging "Gam Gam" is obvious to the game on the TV and instead wants to discuss the neighborhood handyman. Finally, in "Philosopher," Socrates' opinions on the tournament are pretty limited.

“It hits our key business decision-makers as well as students,” Sanger tells Marketing Daily. “Both are a great fit for our businesses which range from commercial truck leasing and logistics to consumer truck rentals.”

The effort is an extension of the brand’s first-ever national ad campaign that debuted in March 2015, Sanger says.

“It taps into the efficient trend of reaching audiences by streaming video ads during live events versus traditional broadcast spots,” she says. “These digital ads encapsulate Penske’s ongoing efforts to increase awareness of our broader service offerings that range from full-service truck leasing and supply chain solutions to consumer moving truck rentals.”

The spots seek to drive awareness of Penske as the go-to expert for all truck leasing, rental and logistics necessities. They encapsulate Penske’s ongoing efforts to educate the public about its broader service offerings, which range from full-service truck leasing and truck fleet maintenance to global logistics and supply chain solutions for leading corporations.

Coverdale Producer Andy Coverdale leads the original online creative content for Penske’s latest ad campaign, and the basketball-themed spots will later be repurposed and expanded for use within more sports-related channels. The ads will stream online during March Madness Live, which is accessible via the March Madness Live mobile app, NCAA.com, bleacherreport.com and CBSSports.com.