• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, March 12, 2024

The Home Depot believes the legendary fandom of March Madness pairs nicely with DIY satisfaction. And it hopes the legendary Shaquille O'Neal is just the man to sell the concept.

The retailer just signed a three-year partnership with the National Collegiate Athletics Association, gaining rights across all 90 NCAA championships, including the women’s and men’s Division I basketball tournaments. Those games mesh perfectly with the retailer’s busiest selling season.

The campaign begins airing on March 17, themed “How to March Madness.” The company is also unleashing “Tips from the Tool Shaq,” a content series that links popular spring projects with basketball themes. Examples include “How to Protect the Paint” and “How to Clean the Glass.”

“The Home Depot’s customers are also big sports fans, and March Madness is one of the most exciting times of the year,” says Molly Battin, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, in the announcement. “We look forward to connecting with our customers in a fun, authentic way and empowering them as they tackle their spring projects.”

The Atlanta-based retailer has a long resume in collegiate sports. In addition to the new deal, which includes CBS Sports and TNT Sports, it’s been associated with CBS Sports’ college football coverage for 26 years. Home Depot has also had a 22-season College GameDay partnership and sponsorships with all four major Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) sports conferences.

A spokesperson for Home Depot tells Marketing Daily the concept for the March Madness campaign was developed in-house.

Ads are planned for linear TV, including CBS, TBS, TNT, TruTV and ESPN Network, and digital and social content. There will also be an onsite Tool Shaq, an experiential activation, during the Final Four.

The Home Depot isn’t the only brand that thinks March Madness offers plenty of teaching moments.

Great Clips, the haircutting chain, is launching an ad campaign called “Wrights & Wrongs,” featuring Jay Wright, a two-time national championship coach. The effort also includes the NBA’s Domantas Sabonis and two college standouts, who will show fans how to win a trip to the 2025 playoffs.

The campaign consists of two national TV spots and plenty of digital content on the dos and don’ts of enjoying college basketball. (Hint: When your bracket gets busted, and your team loses, giving yourself bangs is a terrible response. So is letting a pal cut your hair at halftime.)

The spots are scheduled to run during the Men’s March Madness broadcasts on CBS, TBS, TNT and TruTV.

The chain is also featuring March Madness-themed creative in its salons.