• by Nina Lentini  @Nina_Lentini, April 2, 2007

Today is the final day of madness for Coke.

The hoop-la comes to an end after tonight's big game, when Ohio State and Florida duke it out for bragging rights.

The Atlanta-based company, which agreed to a $500 million deal over 11 years to sponsor the NCAA men's basketball tournament and a host of other college championships, has gone the distance for this game taking place in its own backyard.

Coca-Cola has painted the town red, from billboards to a tournament bracket hanging off the side of the Georgia World Congress Center that showcases the faces of fans of the Final Four teams. They and another fan, who was named "Most Devoted Fan" in Coke's contest, won tickets and airfare to the game.

It's only the third time in 30 years that the championship has been played in Atlanta, which welcomed 150,000 guests.

Coke, as well as championship sponsor AT&T, hired J Patrick Designs to trick out VIP lounges that reflect their corporate logos and identities. The lounges are side-stages where "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest is interviewing sports figures, athletes and celebrities.

March Madness is one of Coke's top three biggest U.S. sports sponsorships. In the 37 days leading to today's game, the company has aired more than 100 TV commercials and pulled off dozens and dozens of store-level promotions across the country.

Coke has also tied the tournament to its "MyCokeReward" frequent-drinker program, in which fans got to turn in points for Final Four-related prizes.

Yesterday, the company hosted a "My Coke Fest" concert at Centennial Olympic Park featuring such acts as Maroon 5, Sugarland and LL Cool J. It also is sponsoring the NCAA Hoops City, where fans can shoot baskets and meet past players. The area is "Refreshed by Coca-Cola."

Why go all out in a city where everybody knows your name?

For one thing, fans are coming from all over the country--many of whom have never before been to Atlanta. For another, how would it look if Coke didn't pull out all the stops for this event?

Michael Hiestand, the sports media columnist for USA Today who has written about sports marketing in the past, says it's also a case of reminding consumers of a company's status.

"The biggest sports sponsors, and Coca-Cola is a goliath, sometimes go overboard in their efforts just to make sure everybody is reminded of their superpower status. Sort of like the U.S. and U.S.S.R., in their Cold War heyday, building another 10,000 nuclear warheads that probably weren't necessary, but were a handy reminder to everybody of their awesome powers," he says.

"So while it's a good idea to promote heavily around marquee sports events, especially given that such events draw lots of people who just want to be at the scene, it was also mandatory for Coke to be very visible--it would have been unthinkable for them not to seem dominant in their own backyard." Editor's note: This story has been edit after publication to correct a minor error.