The top 10 most viewed video ads from March Madness in 2021 collected 37,876,611 watches during the NCAA’s month-long tournament.
Many campaigns this year acknowledge that the majority of people will be enjoying the tournament from the comforts of their own home and tailored their spots accordingly. Buffalo Wild Wings is sending wings to people’s homes for free when games reach overtime, Corona wants to help with our tournament bracket, and Uber Eats touts the convenience of not having to leave your home to get takeout.
March Madness presents an opportunity for brands to connect with consumers over an extended period of time. The return of March Madness is great news for advertisers and signals light at the end of the tunnel for live events gone missing since the pandemic struck.
Keep scrolling to continue reading and see the top 10 most viewed video ads chart from March Madness 2021.
Uber Eats
Buzzer beaters, hometown heroes, and cinderella stories characterize the NCAA’s month-long basketball tournament, exciting fans around the world. Uber Eats’ spot featuring Leslie Jones embodying the “Super Fan” earned the most attention, totaling 14.8 million views among the top 10 most viewed video ads from March Madness 2021.
Uber Eats’ “Tonight, I’ll be eating” campaign has been seen before featuring swaths of celebrities and fan favorites including Wayne and Garth from the cult-classic film Wayne’s World. This time, the focus is on March Madness and pokes fun at last year’s cancellation due to the pandemic.
It’s clear Uber is hoping for consumers to remember the food delivery app when it’s time to watch the game, drilling the phrase “Tonight, I’ll be eating” into the back of our minds using awareness channels such as CTV and online video.
Invesco
Three spots on this year’s list involve personal finance, and it’s possible that the financial services industry sees March Madness as an opportunity to reach people who are not experienced in investing. The pandemic has introduced widespread financial instability for millions of Americans and the financial services sector wants to use this vulnerability to its advantage.
The ad is funny and describes regular people as being innovative by passively investing in leading technology companies through the ETF. The spot also takes advantage, whether intentional or not, of the heightened discourse around investing after the GameStop short squeeze. The campaign is seemingly targeted towards a younger audience who, as they mature, are seeing the need to invest their money – especially when many Americans’ financial situation is so precarious.
Buffalo Wild Wings
As a regular March Madness sponsor, Buffalo Wild Wings missed a huge marketing opportunity last year when the tournament was shut down due to COVID restrictions. This year, they’re letting viewers know “the big dance” is back with wings, beer, and sports action all month long as the official chicken wing of the tournament.
They also announced that each time a game reaches overtime, they will be giving away free wings to anyone who has registered for their loyalty program.
Top 10 Most Viewed Video Ads: March Madness 2021
| Campaign | Release Date | Views |
| 1. Uber Eats – Double the Madness | 14-Mar | 14,816,045 |
| 2. Invesco – Agents of Innovation 2021 | 13-Mar | 7,084,310 |
| 3. Ritz Crackers – A Snack For Everyone | 16-Mar | 5,321,116 |
| 4. Buffalo Wild Wings – March Madness Is Back | 15-Mar | 2,792,404 |
| 5. Corona – Basketball | 19-Mar | 2,622,251 |
| 6. Ritz Crackers – The Manager | 16-Mar | 1,820,654 |
| 7. Capital One – NCAA | 13-Mar | 1,133,848 |
| 8. Buick – Quadruple Take | 8-Mar | 961,980 |
| 9. Capital One – Go With Your G.O.A.T. | 14-Mar | 700,892 |
| 10. Wendy’s – Biscuitball | 12-Mar | 623,111 |
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