• by Tanya Gazdik , March 6, 2023

Nissan’s March Madness effort will include it being the first brand to deploy TikTok Now alongside a larger campaign activation on the platform.

As the official partner of the NCAA March Madness basketball tournament, the automaker will continue the evolution of its “Road 2” ad campaign with six new spots featuring Ariya, Rogue, Altima, Frontier and Pathfinder.

This year’s campaign also features a roster of 16  team mascots, plus former basketball players Candace Parker and Kenny Smith, and current USC Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

The TikTok Now activation is designed to build fan engagement throughout the tournament. TikTok users will receive notifications to post a video of how and where they are watching the game during key moments in the tournament. 

Posting their TikTok Now moments to their Instagram account will enter fans into a sweepstakes for a chance to win tickets to the 2024 men’s Final Four game.

Nissan worked with TikTok to develop this new functionality.

For a second year, the automaker will sponsor both the men's and women's tournaments, says Allyson Witherspoon, vice president and chief marketing officer, Nissan U.S.  

"We saw great engagement at the women's tournament last year," Witherspoon tells Marketing Daily. "And so we're looking to keep building on that."

The new, all-electric Nissan Ariya is the Official EV of March Madness.

Nissan is once again offering an online bracket challenge in partnership with CBS Sports. New for this year's campaign, Nissan will be the co-presenting sponsor of ESPN's women's tournament challenge bracket game, with prizes including four tickets to next year’s Final Four game, and a Nissan Ariya crossover.

For fans attending games in person, Nissan will have activations at both tournament venues including basketball contests, panel series discussions, giveaways and basketball talent appearances.